Internet: www.bls.gov/ro5/	FOR RELEASE:
GENERAL INFORMATION: (312) 353-1880	8:30 A.M. ET
MEDIA CONTACT: Paul LaPorte	Wednesday, April 15, 2009
(312) 353-1138

---

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX CLEVELAND-AKRON, OHIO CMSA MARCH 2009

 

The Cleveland-Akron, Ohio Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.6 percent from January to March, according to a report issued today by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.  The March All Items CPI-U for the Cleveland-Akron area stood at 199.457 (1982-84=100), 1.5 percent lower than a year ago.  This annual drop follows an increase of 4.3 percent in the previous 12-month period ended in March 2008.

A seasonal increase in the apparel component was the largest contributing factor to the latest bimonthly gain in the Cleveland area all items CPI-U, commented Jay A. Mousa, regional commissioner for the Bureau’s Chicago office.  The components for other goods and services, transportation, housing, and recreation were also higher over the two-month period.  The components for medical care and education and communication rose, but with little impact.  Partially offsetting these increases was a decline in the component for food and beverages.

The apparel component increased 10.2 percent during the January-March period.  In the previous four January-March periods, increases in the apparel component ranged from 9.4 to 16.6 percent.  Despite the latest bimonthly increase, apparel prices were down 5.8 percent for the year.  This latest annual decrease contrasts with a rise of 2.7 percent in the previous 12-month period ended in March 2008.

The other goods and services component, which includes tobacco and smoking products and personal care items, rose from January to March by 4.8 percent and advanced 9.6 percent during the most recent 12-month period.

The transportation component gained 0.5 percent during this bimonthly period.  The cost of gasoline rose 0.3 percent from January to March.  This latest rise in gasoline prices was small compared with the 9.3 percent increase during the same period in 2008.  Over the year, gasoline prices plunged 41.6 percent, in contrast to the 31.3 percent annual increase reported in March 2008. The overall transportation component stood 14.1 percent lower for the year.  In the previous annual period (March 2007-08), transportation costs rose 8.4 percent.

The housing component edged up 0.1 percent during this bimonthly period.  The shelter index rose 1.3 percent and the household furnishings and operations index declined 0.4 percent.  Household fuels and utilities costs fell 4.7 percent from January to March with utility (piped) gas service costs declining 12.7 percent.  The electricity index rose during this two-month period by 2.5 percent.  Over the last 12-months, the household fuels and utilities index was 3.7 percent lower with utility gas service costs down 14.2 percent and electricity costs up 6.1 percent.  Overall housing costs were 1.4 percent lower than in March 2008.

During this bimonthly period, recreation costs rose 0.8 percent.  The recreation component was 5.2 percent higher for the year.  The medical care component increased a modest 0.2 percent from January to March and stood 3.5 percent above its year ago level.  This latest 12-month advance was less than the 9.6 percent rise during the previous March-March period.  The education and communication component edged up 0.1 percent during this bimonthly period.  For the 12-months this component was up 1.5 percent.

 
The component for food and beverages declined 0.6 percent from January to March.  Prices for grocery food items (food at home index) fell 0.9 percent; the cost of food away from home rose a modest 0.4 percent; and alcoholic beverage prices fell 2.6 percent.  Over the last 12-months, the overall food and beverages component rose 5.7 percent following a 3.6 percent annual increase reported in March 2008.  Food at home and food away from home prices jumped 8.5 and 3.0 percent respectively, over the most recent 12-months, while alcoholic beverage prices were up 1.0 percent.

         

 

---

 ###

Scheduled release date for the April 2009 CPI: Friday, May 15, 2009

CPI HOTLINE SERVICE PROVIDES LATEST INDEXES 24 HOURS A DAY

The all items CPI-U and CPI-W for the U.S. City Average and the Cleveland area are available to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the Bureau's CPI Hotline service. This recorded message also provides percent changes from the prior period and from a year earlier, as well as the scheduled release date for the next CPI issuance. The Hotline number in Cleveland is (216) 522-3852.

BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE CPI

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 87 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 32 percent of the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Prices are collected in 87 urban areas across the country from about 50,000 housing units and approximately 23,000 retail establishments--department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index. Prices of food, fuels, and a few other items are obtained every month in all 87 locations. Prices of most other commodities and services are collected every month in the three largest geographic areas and every other month in other areas. Prices of most goods and services are obtained by personal visits of the Bureau's trained representatives.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Separate indexes are also published by size of city, by region of the country, for cross-classifications of regions and population-size classes, and for 27 local areas. Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices among cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65.

For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch17_a.htm.

---

 

Last Modified Date: April 15, 2009