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Information: Martin Kohli,(646) 264-3620            until after 8:30 A.M. (ET)
                                                    Wednesday, April 15, 2009

      CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, NEW YORK-NORTHERN NEW JERSEY: MARCH 2009
Area prices edged up 0.2 percent over the month, 0.8 percent over the year
                                  
  Retail prices in the greater New York area, as measured by the
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), edged up 0.2
percent in March.  The March upturn largely reflected increases for
shelter, apparel, and other goods and services.  Michael L. Dolfman,
Regional Commissioner of the U. S. Department of Labor's Bureau of
Labor Statistics, said that the 0.8-percent over-the-year change was
the smallest 12-month increase since 1961.  For the year that ended
in March 2009, the index for all items less food and energy climbed
2.2 percent.
  
  The housing index rose 0.4 percent in March.  A 0.7-percent
increase in the shelter component was partially offset by declines in
fuels and utilities and in household furnishings. Under the shelter
component, owners' equivalent rent rose 0.6 percent, while
residential rent rose 0.5 percent.  The increase for owners'
equivalent rent was the largest since June 2008.  The index for
household energy declined 1.1 percent in large part because of a 3.2-
percent decline for natural gas.  Over the year, the housing index
advanced 1.9 percent, the smallest 12-month increase since 1999.
  
  Apparel, often up in March, rose 1.4 percent, the ninth
consecutive monthly increase.  Price increases were reported for
infants' and toddlers' apparel and for jewelry.  Other goods and
services rose 1.4 percent.  This was largely attributable to an
increase in cigarette prices.

        New York-Northern New Jersey CPI monthly and annual percent changes
                              (not seasonally adjusted)
                                                                                   
           |   2004    |   2005    |   2006    |   2007    |   2008    |   2009    
   Month   | Mo | Ann  | Mo | Ann  | Mo | Ann  | Mo | Ann  | Mo | Ann  | Mo | Ann  

 January     0.3  2.7    0.6  4.1    0.8  3.7    0.2  2.7    0.2  3.7    0.2  1.5
 February    0.6  2.5    0.4  3.9    0.2  3.6    0.6  3.1    0.5  3.6    0.5  1.6
 March       1.1  3.2    1.7  4.4    0.8  2.7    0.7  2.9    0.9  3.8    0.2  0.8
 April       0.3  3.7    0.0  4.2    0.9  3.6    0.5  2.5    0.3  3.6
 May         0.2  3.9   -0.5  3.4    0.6  4.8    0.6  2.5    1.0  4.0
 June        0.8  4.6   -0.3  2.3    0.5  5.6    0.5  2.5    1.0  4.5
    
 July       -0.2  3.9    0.9  3.4    0.2  5.0    0.2  2.5    0.7  5.1
 August      0.1  3.3    0.8  4.1    0.4  4.7   -0.1  1.9    0.1  5.4
 September   0.1  3.2    0.8  4.8   -0.5  3.3    0.0  2.4   -0.2  5.2
 October     0.7  3.7    0.4  4.5   -0.5  2.4    0.1  3.1   -0.7  4.3
 November    0.0  3.9   -0.6  3.9   -0.4  2.6    0.4  3.9   -1.6  2.2
 December   -0.2  3.8   -0.5  3.6    0.2  3.3    0.0  3.7   -0.6  1.6
                                                                                   

  Food and beverages prices declined 0.4 percent in March, the
largest monthly decline since November 2006.  The food at home index
dropped 0.8 percent, while food away from home remained unchanged.
For food at home, this was the fourth reported decline in the last
five months. (See chart A.)  The drop in grocery prices was largely
due to a decrease in the price of milk.  The alcoholic beverages
index also dropped 0.8-percent, the largest monthly decline in nearly
five years.  Lower prices were reported for beer.  For the year that
ended in March 2009, food and beverage prices increased 4.6 percent;
grocery prices climbed 5.3 percent.



  The transportation index inched up 0.1 percent.  A 1.4-percent
increase for gasoline was in part offset by lower prices for used
cars and trucks.  Over the year, the transportation index fell 10.0
percent.

  Declines were reported in recreation prices (-0.6 percent),
medical care (-0.4 percent), and education and communication (-0.1
percent).
  
  With the New York-Northern New Jersey Consumer Price Index for All
Urban Consumers at 235.067 in March (1982-84=100), $23.51 was
required to purchase what $10 could in the 1982-84 base period.  The
purchasing power of the dollar was 42.5 cents in 1982-84 dollars and
14.7 cents in 1967 dollars.  In March, the Consumer Price Index for
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 229.064, up 0.2
percent.  The CPI-W rose 0.9 percent over the year.  On a 1967 base,
the March CPI-W was 652.202.
  
  Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted.  Accordingly,
month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.
The New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA
consolidated area comprises the five boroughs of New York City,
Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Orange
Counties in New York State; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer,
Monmouth, Middlesex, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union
and Warren Counties in New Jersey; Fairfield County and parts of
Litchfield, New Haven and Middlesex Counties in Connecticut; and Pike
County in Pennsylvania.

NYLS - 7373                                          Labor - New York
04/14/09

Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods
              New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA 1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

                                                        Indexes                Percent change from-   
                 Item and Group
                                               Jan.       Feb.       Mar.      Mar.     Jan.     Feb.  
                                               2009       2009       2009      2008     2009     2009  
  
              Expenditure category

  All items...............................   233.402    234.663    235.067      0.8      0.7      0.2 
  All items (1967=100)                       674.732    678.378    679.546       -        -        - 

   Food and beverages.....................   229.014    228.886    227.880      4.6      -.5      -.4 
    Food..................................   228.324    228.195    227.244      4.7      -.5      -.4 
     Food at home.........................   230.193    229.149    227.340      5.3     -1.2      -.8 
     Food away from home..................   232.160    233.136    233.199      4.0       .4       .0 
    Alcoholic beverages...................   234.968    234.853    233.043      1.8      -.8      -.8 

   Housing................................   256.339    256.561    257.491      1.9       .4       .4 
    Shelter...............................   308.572    309.934    311.959      2.5      1.1       .7 
     Rent of primary residence 1/            304.403    305.125    306.714      5.4       .8       .5 
     Owners' equivalent rent of primary
         residence 1/ 2/..................   317.430    317.982    319.755      3.7       .7       .6 
    Fuels and utilities...................   203.015    198.649    196.734      -.3     -3.1     -1.0 
     Household energy.....................   204.783    199.904    197.776      -.9     -3.4     -1.1 
      Gas (piped) and electricity 1/......   203.564    198.661    197.572      5.9     -2.9      -.5 
       Electricity 1/.....................   181.843    176.791    178.535      7.7     -1.8      1.0 
       Utility (piped) gas service 1/.....   245.716    241.363    233.726      3.0     -4.9     -3.2 
    Household furnishings and operations     128.092    127.193    125.852     -1.5     -1.7     -1.1 

   Apparel................................   106.555    113.702    115.284      2.3      8.2      1.4 

   Transportation.........................   176.963    179.901    180.067    -10.0      1.8       .1 

    Private transportation................   165.557    169.432    169.518    -10.7      2.4      0.1 
     Motor fuel...........................   140.776    150.888    152.721    -38.2      8.5      1.2 
      Gasoline (all types)................   139.408    149.827    151.877    -38.2      8.9      1.4 
       Gasoline, unleaded regular 3/......   138.879    149.887    151.915    -39.1      9.4      1.4 
       Gasoline, unleaded midgrade 3/ 4/..   143.356    153.060    155.371    -36.4      8.4      1.5 
       Gasoline, unleaded premium 3/......   143.160    152.194    154.145    -36.1      7.7      1.3 

   Medical care...........................   369.972    371.722    370.132      1.0       .0      -.4 

   Recreation 5/..........................   115.503    116.724    116.071      2.2       .5      -.6 

   Education and communication 5/.........   134.102    133.444    133.355      4.4      -.6      -.1 

   Other goods and services...............   350.251    349.370    354.342      3.6      1.2      1.4 

                                                              Commodity and service group

  All items...............................   233.402    234.663    235.067       .8       .7       .2 
   Commodities............................   170.585    172.916    172.523     -3.4      1.1      -.2 
    Commodities less food and beverages...   133.942    137.346    137.268     -8.9      2.5      -.1 
     Nondurables less food and beverages..   156.339    162.281    162.991    -11.2      4.3       .4 
     Durables.............................   103.698    104.105    103.139     -4.6      -.5      -.9 
   Services...............................   287.039    287.415    288.486      3.1      0.5      0.4 

                                                               Special aggregate indexes

  All items less medical care.............   227.232    228.468    228.933       .8       .7       .2 
  All items less shelter..................   203.744    204.978    204.680      -.3       .5      -.1 
  Commodities less food...................   137.815    141.138    141.008     -8.5      2.3      -.1 
  Nondurables.............................   193.661    196.785    196.684     -3.1      1.6      -.1 
  Nondurables less food...................   161.052    166.694    167.273    -10.3      3.9       .3 
  Services less rent of shelter 2/........   273.285    272.414    272.298      3.9      -.4       .0 
  Services less medical care services.....   279.668    280.034    281.058      3.1       .5       .4 
  Energy..................................   178.936    180.278    179.791    -18.3       .5      -.3 
  All items less energy...................   240.351    241.613    242.107      2.6       .7       .2 
   All items less food and energy.........   244.019    245.552    246.322      2.2       .9       .3 

  1/ This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator.  All other item stratum index series
     were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
  2/ Index is on a December 1982=100 base.
  3/ Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
  4/ Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
  5/ Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
  -  Data not available.