September 18, 2006 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

CPI in August 2006

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) advanced 0.2 percent in August, following a 0.4-percent rise in July.

[Chart data—TXT]

Energy prices, which advanced 2.9 percent in July, rose 0.3 percent in August. Within energy, the index for petroleum based energy increased 0.4 percent and the index for energy services rose 0.2 percent.

The food index increased 0.4 percent in August.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in August, the same as July. A sharp upturn in the index for apparel was largely offset by a smaller increase in shelter costs, which rose 0.2 percent in August after increasing 0.4 percent in July.

During the first eight months of 2006, the CPI-U rose at a 4.6-percent seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). This compares with an increase of 3.4 percent for all of 2005.

For the 12 months ended in August 2006, the CPI-U rose 3.8 percent, as shown in the chart.

These data are from the BLS Consumer Price Index program. To learn more, see "Consumer Price Index: August 2006" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 06-1587.