Internet Address: www.bls.gov/ro2/home.htm FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 Media Contact: Michael L. Dolfman,(212) 337-2500 Information: Martin Kohli,(646) 264-3620 NORTHEAST REGION CONSUMER PRICE INDEX: JUNE 2009 Largest One-Month Increase Since July 2008 Retail prices in the Northeast region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.8 percent in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Michael L. Dolfman, the Bureau's regional commissioner, noted that the recent advance was due almost entirely to higher prices for transportation (particularly gasoline) and housing. A smaller increase in the recreation index was more than offset by a decline in apparel index while the four remaining major categories were little changed over the month. (See chart A.) The June level of 229.930 (1982-84 = 100) was 1.2 percent lower than in June 2008. Over the same period, the core inflation rate, as measured by the all items less food and energy index, rose 2.0 percent. (See table 1.)Dominated by higher gasoline prices, the transportation index increased 3.8 percent in June. Gasoline prices advanced for the fifth straight month, up 47.0 percent since January and 15.7 percent since May-the largest one-month increase since April 2006. Due to strong declines in the second half of 2008, gasoline prices were 34.9 percent lower over the year. Prices for new vehicles declined 0.4 percent in June, the first one-month decrease since December 2008. Over the year, prices for new vehicles edged up 0.2 percent. The overall transportation index declined 12.3 percent over the last 12 months. The housing index increased 0.6 percent in June due in part to a 2.8-percent advance in fuels and utilities prices. The increase in the fuels and utilities index was due mainly to a seasonal rise in electricity prices, up 5.0 percent in June. Electricity prices normally rise in June as summer rates are introduced, then decline in October. The recent seasonal increase was below the 7.9-percent average May-June rise over the last five years. Electricity prices were 0.5 percent higher than year-ago levels. Utility (piped) gas service prices decreased for the seventh consecutive month, down 25.5 percent since November and 1.0 percent since May. Over the year, utility gas service prices were 25.2 percent lower-the largest 12-month decrease since the inception of the index in December 1978. The shelter index, which includes rent of primary residence, lodging away from home, owners' equivalent rent of primary residence, and tenants' and household insurance, increased 0.4 percent over the month and was 1.8 percent higher over the year. Prices for household furnishings and operations, the third component of the housing index, were down 0.3 percent in June, but were 0.2 percent higher than last year. The overall housing index declined 0.6 percent over the last 12 months. The recreation index advanced 1.9 percent in June-the largest one- month increase since the inception of the index in December 1997. The recreation index was 2.9 percent higher over the year. Following a 0.2-percent decrease in May, the other goods and services index rose 0.2 percent in June. Over the year, the other goods and services index (which includes tobacco and smoking products, personal care products, personal care services, and miscellaneous personal services such as legal, funeral, and laundry and dry cleaning services) increased 7.0 percent. The medical care index inched up 0.1 percent in June, due to a 0.4- percent increase in medical care commodities prices. Over the last 12 months, the medical care commodities index was 2.9 percent higher. Medical care services prices were unchanged in June but were 2.2 percent higher over the year. The medical care index rose 2.4 percent over the last 12 months. The remaining indexes had lower prices in June. Apparel prices decreased for the third consecutive month, down 5.2 percent since March and 3.8 percent since May. The one-month seasonal decrease was similar to the 3.6-percent average decline in June for the last five years. Despite the recent declines, apparel prices were 1.5 percent higher over the year. Food and beverages prices edged down 0.1 percent as a decline in food at home prices were nearly offset by advances in food away from home and alcoholic beverages prices. Food at home prices were 0.3 percent lower over the month but 1.6 percent higher over the year. The food away from home index inched up 0.1 percent in June to a level 3.9 percent higher than last year. Alcoholic beverages prices increased 0.2 percent since May and 3.7 percent since June 2008. The overall food and beverages index rose 2.7 percent from its year-ago level. Following a 0.3-percent rise in May, the education and communication index inched down 0.1 percent in June. Due to 9 increases over the last 12 months, the education and communication index was 3.8 percent higher than last year. The energy index, which reflects prices for gasoline and household fuels, jumped 8.4 percent in June-the largest one-month increase since September 2005. The recent advance was due mostly to higher gasoline prices (15.7 percent). Also contributing to the advance were higher electricity prices (5.0 percent). Due to strong price declines in the second half of 2008, energy prices were down 26.4 percent over the year. The Northeast region is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. NYLS - 7386 Labor - New York 07/15/09 The relative importance of a component of the CPI is its expenditure or value weight expressed as a percentage of all items within an area. Relative importance ratios show approximately how the index population distributes expenditures when the value weights are collected and represent an estimate of how consumers would distribute their expenditures as prices change over time. Relative importance ratios cannot be used as estimates of current spending patterns or as indicators of changing consumer expenditures in the intervals between weight revisions because consumption patterns are influenced by factors-including income, variations in climate, family size, and availability of new and different kinds of goods and services-other than price change. (See table A.) Table A (2005-2006 Weights). Relative importance of components in the Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region, December 2008 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Item and group CPI-U ---------------------------------------------------------------- Expenditure category All items............................................ 100.000 Food and beverages.................................. 15.794 Food............................................... 14.702 Food at home...................................... 8.174 Food away from home............................... 6.528 Alcoholic beverages............................... 1.093 Housing............................................. 44.880 Shelter............................................ 35.109 Rent of primary residence......................... 6.747 Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence...... 24.949 Fuels and utilities................................ 5.834 Household energy.................................. 5.137 Gas (piped) and electricity...................... 4.262 Electricity..................................... 2.758 Utility (piped) gas service..................... 1.504 Household furnishings and operations............... 3.937 Apparel............................................. 3.712 Transportation...................................... 14.128 Private transportation............................. 12.779 New and used vehicles............................. 6.150 New vehicles..................................... 3.963 Used cars and trucks............................. 1.205 Motor fuel......................................... 2.756 Gasoline (all types).............................. 2.624 Medical care........................................ 5.885 Medical care commodities........................... 1.498 Medical care services.............................. 4.387 Professional care services........................ 2.561 Recreation.......................................... 5.505 Education and communication......................... 6.700 Other goods and services............................ 3.395 Commodity and service group Commodities......................................... 37.438 Commodities less food and beverages................ 21.644 Nondurables less food and beverages............... 12.954 Durables.......................................... 8.690 Services............................................ 62.562 Special aggregate indexes All items less medical care......................... 94.115 All items less shelter.............................. 64.891 Commodities less food............................... 22.736 Nondurables......................................... 28.748 Nondurables less food............................... 14.046 Services less rent of shelter....................... 27.734 Services less medical care services................. 58.175 Energy.............................................. 7.893 All items less energy............................... 92.107 All items less food and energy..................... 77.405 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods Northeast (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) Indexes Percent change from- Item and Group Apr. May June June Apr. May 2009 2009 2009 2008 2009 2009 Expenditure category All items.................................... 227.840 228.136 229.930 -1.2 0.9 0.8 All items (December 1977=100) ............... 358.779 359.244 362.070 - - - Food and beverages.......................... 223.553 223.364 223.125 2.7 -.2 -.1 Food....................................... 223.126 222.862 222.573 2.6 -.2 -.1 Food at home.............................. 221.907 221.287 220.534 1.6 -.6 -.3 Food away from home....................... 227.763 227.945 228.236 3.9 .2 .1 Alcoholic beverages........................ 228.065 228.890 229.338 3.7 .6 .2 Housing..................................... 242.754 242.200 243.764 -.6 .4 .6 Shelter.................................... 290.265 290.563 291.794 1.8 .5 .4 Rent of primary residence 1/.............. 282.663 283.074 283.196 3.5 .2 .0 Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence 1/ 2/....................... 299.817 300.754 300.841 2.5 .3 .0 Fuels and utilities........................ 210.466 204.506 210.294 -14.6 -.1 2.8 Household energy.......................... 195.425 189.016 195.370 -17.1 .0 3.4 Gas (piped) and electricity 1/........... 203.632 196.033 202.388 -8.3 -.6 3.2 Electricity 1/.......................... 190.126 189.455 198.946 .5 4.6 5.0 Utility (piped) gas service 1/.......... 223.241 198.620 196.567 -25.2 -11.9 -1.0 Household furnishings and operations....... 129.239 129.805 129.384 .2 .1 -.3 Apparel..................................... 122.159 120.491 115.915 1.5 -5.1 -3.8 Transportation.............................. 172.677 176.041 182.714 -12.3 5.8 3.8 Private transportation..................... 166.721 170.461 177.272 -12.4 6.3 4.0 New and used motor vehicles 3/............ 92.994 93.019 92.900 .1 -.1 -.1 New vehicles............................. 135.176 135.293 134.775 .2 -.3 -.4 New cars and trucks 3/ 4/............... 93.676 93.759 93.397 .1 -.3 -.4 New cars (4)............................ 133.229 133.207 132.553 -.6 -.5 -.5 Used cars and trucks..................... 126.408 127.677 129.172 -8.4 2.2 1.2 Motor fuel................................ 171.591 188.335 217.435 -35.4 26.7 15.5 Gasoline (all types)..................... 170.480 187.816 217.258 -34.9 27.4 15.7 Gasoline, unleaded regular 4/........... 170.096 187.927 218.015 -35.5 28.2 16.0 Gasoline, unleaded midgrade 4/ 5/....... 175.794 192.342 221.564 -34.1 26.0 15.2 Gasoline, unleaded premium 4/........... 169.364 184.989 211.249 -33.3 24.7 14.2 Medical care................................ 395.332 395.546 395.801 2.4 .1 .1 Medical care commodities................... 325.166 326.579 327.796 2.9 .8 .4 Medical care services...................... 413.886 413.572 413.401 2.2 -.1 .0 Professional services..................... 322.182 322.821 322.791 1.5 .2 .0 Recreation 3/............................... 117.135 117.244 119.426 2.9 2.0 1.9 Education and communication 3/.............. 130.499 130.868 130.748 3.8 .2 -.1 Other goods and services.................... 393.653 392.734 393.621 7.0 .0 .2 Commodity and service group All items.................................... 227.840 228.136 229.930 -1.2 .9 .8 Commodities................................. 172.738 173.854 175.618 -5.2 1.7 1.0 Commodities less food and beverages........ 143.667 145.337 147.948 -9.9 3.0 1.8 Nondurables less food and beverages....... 173.897 177.031 182.404 -14.2 4.9 3.0 Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel.............................. 215.332 221.972 234.580 -18.7 8.9 5.7 Durables.................................. 108.022 108.198 108.013 -1.9 .0 -.2 Services.................................... 281.827 281.315 283.138 1.5 .5 .6 Rent of shelter 2/......................... 303.634 303.944 305.220 1.8 .5 .4 Transportation services.................... 236.238 234.916 236.379 1.3 .1 .6 Other services............................. 322.697 323.608 326.357 3.6 1.1 .8 Special aggregate indexes All items less medical care.................. 220.343 220.639 222.474 -1.4 1.0 .8 All items less food.......................... 228.967 229.359 231.518 -1.8 1.1 .9 All items less shelter....................... 206.594 206.892 208.929 -2.7 1.1 1.0 Commodities less food........................ 146.790 148.441 150.997 -9.4 2.9 1.7 Nondurables.................................. 198.767 200.336 203.068 -6.1 2.2 1.4 Nondurables less food........................ 176.935 179.933 185.018 -13.2 4.6 2.8 Nondurables less food and apparel............ 214.727 220.754 232.091 -17.0 8.1 5.1 Services less rent of shelter 2/ ............ 282.323 280.781 283.429 1.0 .4 .9 Services less medical care services.......... 272.256 271.738 273.642 1.4 .5 .7 Energy....................................... 185.266 188.600 204.517 -26.4 10.4 8.4 All items less energy........................ 234.531 234.502 234.791 2.1 .1 .1 All items less food and energy.............. 238.061 238.078 238.483 2.0 .2 .2 Commodities less food and energy commodities............................ 145.531 145.298 144.200 1.5 -.9 -.8 Energy commodities......................... 182.352 196.220 222.356 -37.0 21.9 13.3 Services less energy services.............. 289.610 289.791 291.171 2.2 .5 .5 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/ Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. 4/ Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. 5/ Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. - Data not available.
Last Modified Date: July 15, 2009
