April 17, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Consumer prices rise in March

/cpi/cpirev01.htmOn September 28, 2000, the BLS released revised Consumer Price Indexes for January through August 2000. The article on this page contains revised data. For further information see 'Revisions in January to August 2000 CPI Data' available from the Consumer Price Index Homepage.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.7 percent in March, following an increase of 0.5 percent in February. For the 12-month period ended in March, the unadjusted CPI-U increased 3.8 percent.

Percent change from 12 months ago, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, not seasonally adjusted, March 1991- March 2000
[Chart data—TXT]

Rising energy costs--up 4.9 percent in March--accounted for more than half of the monthly change in the overall CPI for the second consecutive month. The food index, which increased 0.4 percent in February, rose 0.1 percent in March.

Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U rose 0.4 percent in March, following increases of 0.2 percent in the first two months of this year. Most major expenditure groups contributed to the larger March advance with increases in the cost of shelter, transportation (other than motor fuels), and household furnishings and operations accounting for about three-fourths of the acceleration.

These data are a product of the BLS Consumer Price Index program. 

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