June 08, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

No change in new vehicle prices in 2000

Prices paid by consumers for new vehicles were unchanged in 2000, following a 0.3-percent decrease in 1999.

Percent change in the Consumer Price Index for new vehicles, 1990 to 2000
[Chart data—TXT]

The Consumer Price Index for motor vehicles last increased in 1996, when it rose 1.8 percent. In 1997, prices of new vehicles fell by 0.9 percent—the first decline since 1971. Following that decrease, prices were steady in 1998.

These data are from the BLS Consumer Price Index program. For additional information on consumer price changes, see "Consumer inflation higher in 2000," by Todd Wilson, Monthly Labor Review, April 2001. Annual percent changes are December-to-December changes.

Happy 10th Birthday, TED!

The very first issue of The Editor's Desk (TED) was posted on September 28, 1998. TED was the first online-only publication of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For 10 years, BLS has been committed to posting a new TED article each business day, for a total of over 2,400 articles so far.

Find out more about the story of TED