Internet Address: http://www.bls.gov/ro2/home.htm Transmission of material in Media Contact: Michael L. Dolfman,(212) 337-2500 this release is embargoed Information: Martin Kohli,(646) 264-3620 until after 8:30 A.M. (ET) Friday, January 16, 2009
NEW YORK-NORTHERN NEW JERSEY CPI DOWN 0.6 PERCENT IN DECEMBER,
1.6 PERCENT INCREASE FROM YEAR AGO
Retail prices in the greater New York area, as measured by the
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), decreased 0.6
percent in December after dropping 1.6 percent in November. Michael
L. Dolfman, Regional Commissioner of the U. S. Department of Labor's
Bureau of Labor Statistics, noted that this was the first time since
the Bureau began publishing the monthly series in 1940 that the index
registered four consecutive contractions. The December decline
reflected lower prices for transportation and apparel. These were
partially offset by increases for housing and education and
communication. For the year ended in December 2008, the CPI-U
advanced 1.6 percent, the lowest over-the-year increase since 1999,
and the index for all items less food and energy rose 2.6 percent.
The transportation index decreased 4.3 percent in December, the
fifth consecutive monthly fall. (See chart A.) The decline was
primarily due to a sharp 19.7-percent drop in gasoline prices. Since
July, the New York area gasoline index has retreated 55.4 percent.
Lower prices for new vehicles and used cars and trucks contributed to
the December decrease. Over the year, transportation prices fell
10.0 percent, the largest 12-month decline since the series start in
1947.
The apparel index, often down in December with seasonal sales,
fell 6.1 percent over the month. Markdowns for women's, men's, and
girls' apparel, as well as women's footwear, contributed to the
month's decline, the largest since June 2002.
New York-Northern New Jersey CPI monthly and annual percent changes
(not seasonally adjusted)
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008
Month | Mo | Ann | Mo | Ann | Mo | Ann | Mo | Ann | Mo | Ann | Mo | Ann
January 0.8 3.3 0.3 2.7 0.6 4.1 0.8 3.7 0.2 2.7 0.2 3.7
February 0.8 3.3 0.6 2.5 0.4 3.9 0.2 3.6 0.6 3.1 0.5 3.6
March 0.5 3.1 1.1 3.2 1.7 4.4 0.8 2.7 0.7 2.9 0.9 3.8
April -0.2 2.6 0.3 3.7 0.0 4.2 0.9 3.6 0.5 2.5 0.3 3.6
May 0.1 2.8 0.2 3.9 -0.5 3.4 0.6 4.8 0.6 2.5 1.0 4.0
June 0.1 2.8 0.8 4.6 -0.3 2.3 0.5 5.6 0.5 2.5 1.0 4.5
July 0.4 3.0 -0.2 3.9 0.9 3.4 0.2 5.0 0.2 2.5 0.7 5.1
August 0.7 3.1 0.1 3.3 0.8 4.1 0.4 4.7 -0.1 1.9 0.1 5.4
September 0.3 3.3 0.1 3.2 0.8 4.8 -0.5 3.3 0.0 2.4 -0.2 5.2
October 0.2 3.3 0.7 3.7 0.4 4.5 -0.5 2.4 0.1 3.1 -0.7 4.3
November -0.3 3.1 0.0 3.9 -0.6 3.9 -0.4 2.6 0.4 3.9 -1.6 2.2
December -0.1 3.2 -0.2 3.8 -0.5 3.6 0.2 3.3 0.0 3.7 -0.6 1.6
The housing index rose 0.3 percent in December, after declining
0.5 to 0.8 percent in each of the previous three months. The upturn
was primarily due to the fuels and utilities component. A 9.0-
percent jump in electricity charges outweighed lower prices for fuel
oil, while natural gas prices inched up 0.1 percent. In the shelter
component, a decrease in out-of-town lodging charges was largely
offset by 0.4-percent increases for both owners' equivalent rent and
residential rent. The housing index rose 3.2 percent over the year,
with fuels and utilities increasing 5.5 percent.
Prices for education and communication advanced 0.6 percent in
December. Higher-priced long distance telephone service contributed
to the December rise. Over the year, the education and communication
index rose 5.2 percent, the largest 12-month change since the
category was first tracked ten years ago.
Among other expenditure categories, the food and beverages index
remained unchanged in December. A 0.3-percent decline in prices for
food at home offset increases for food away from home and for
alcoholic beverages. Chicken and apples were among the items
contributing to the month's decline for at-home food. For the year
ended in December, grocery prices rose 7.5 percent, while prices for
food away from home increased 4.7 percent.
Recreation prices were also unchanged in December. Medical care
inched up 0.1 percent, while other goods and services rose 0.3
percent.
With the New York-Northern New Jersey Consumer Price Index for All
Urban Consumers at 233.012 in December (1982-84=100), $23.30 was
required to purchase what $10 could in the 1982-84 base period. The
purchasing power of the dollar was 42.9 cents in 1982-84 dollars and
14.8 cents in 1967 dollars. In December, the Consumer Price Index
for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 227.223, down
0.7 percent over the month. The CPI-W rose 1.5 percent over the
year. On a 1967 base, the December CPI-W was 646.960.
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 - 7361 Labor - New York
01/14/08
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
Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. Oct. Nov.
2008 2008 2008 2007 2008 2008
Expenditure category
All items............................... 238.403 234.498 233.012 1.6 -2.3 -0.6
All items (1967=100).................... 689.190 677.900 673.604 - - -
Food and beverages..................... 228.086 228.189 228.213 6.2 .1 .0
Food.................................. 227.469 227.518 227.406 6.2 .0 .0
Food at home......................... 229.598 229.060 228.416 7.5 -.5 -.3
Food away from home.................. 230.968 231.728 232.258 4.7 .6 .2
Alcoholic beverages................... 232.963 233.887 235.943 5.0 1.3 .9
Housing................................ 257.047 254.912 255.615 3.2 -.6 .3
Shelter............................... 308.989 307.725 307.530 3.1 -.5 -.1
Rent of primary residence 1/......... 301.253 302.313 303.511 5.5 .7 .4
Owners' equivalent rent of primary
residence 1/ 2/.................. 315.708 316.402 317.595 3.6 .6 .4
Fuels and utilities................... 206.142 197.831 203.310 5.5 -1.4 2.8
Household energy..................... 208.566 199.327 204.909 5.3 -1.8 2.8
Gas (piped) and electricity 1/...... 196.765 192.300 202.702 9.4 3.0 5.4
Electricity 1/..................... 172.388 161.685 176.269 7.3 2.3 9.0
Utility (piped) gas service 1/..... 245.375 255.610 255.854 13.1 4.3 .1
Household furnishings and operations.. 128.179 126.961 127.748 .2 -.3 .6
Apparel................................ 119.420 115.048 108.045 .7 -9.5 -6.1
Transportation......................... 200.291 185.353 177.308 -10.0 -11.5 -4.3
Private transportation................ 190.389 174.393 165.547 -11.8 -13.0 -5.1
Motor fuel........................... 240.938 177.894 143.045 -40.2 -40.6 -19.6
Gasoline (all types)................ 239.551 176.390 141.564 -40.6 -40.9 -19.7
Gasoline, unleaded regular 3/...... 240.551 175.580 139.517 -42.2 -42.0 -20.5
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade 3/ 4/.. 245.311 182.606 149.579 -37.1 -39.0 -18.1
Gasoline, unleaded premium 3/...... 238.551 180.129 148.179 -36.8 -37.9 -17.7
Medical care........................... 367.629 367.298 367.657 1.0 .0 .1
Recreation 5/.......................... 115.532 115.171 115.148 1.6 -.3 .0
Education and communication 5/......... 132.926 133.122 133.955 5.2 .8 .6
Other goods and services............... 354.472 348.845 349.842 2.9 -1.3 .3
Commodity and service group
All items............................... 238.403 234.498 233.012 1.6 -2.3 -.6
Commodities............................ 182.371 175.447 170.806 -2.6 -6.3 -2.6
Commodities less food and beverages... 151.290 141.312 134.645 -8.7 -11.0 -4.7
Nondurables less food and beverages.. 187.541 169.745 157.964 -11.0 -15.8 -6.9
Durables............................. 104.737 103.968 103.331 -4.4 -1.3 -.6
Services............................... 286.410 285.001 286.137 3.8 -0.1 0.4
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care............. 232.433 228.442 226.907 1.6 -2.4 -.7
All items less shelter.................. 210.814 205.703 203.633 .6 -3.4 -1.0
Commodities less food................... 154.709 144.985 138.530 -8.1 -10.5 -4.5
Nondurables............................. 209.944 200.453 194.149 -2.1 -7.5 -3.1
Nondurables less food................... 190.601 173.737 162.649 -10.0 -14.7 -6.4
Services less rent of shelter 2/........ 271.275 269.623 272.531 4.7 .5 1.1
Services less medical care services..... 279.180 277.695 278.870 3.9 -.1 .4
Energy.................................. 222.851 191.180 179.954 -15.9 -19.2 -5.9
All items less energy................... 241.579 240.364 239.821 3.1 -.7 -.2
All items less food and energy......... 245.648 244.187 243.559 2.6 -.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.
Last Modified Date: February 20, 2009
