Midwest Information Office

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

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CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR ENERGY AND FOOD CLEVELAND-AKRON, OHIO CMSA JUNE 2009

 

Energy costs in the Cleveland-Akron area increased 9.6 percent in June following a 3.4 percent gain in May, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Over the past 12 months, however, energy costs in the area declined 29.8 percent.  During the prior 12-month period (June 2007-08), energy prices in the Cleveland-Akron area rose 28.6 percent.

 
Jay A. Mousa, regional commissioner for the Bureau in Chicago, stated that the largest portion of the monthly increase in Cleveland area energy costs was attributable to increased prices for gasoline.  During June, gasoline prices rose 18.9 percent, and since April they were 37.1 percent higher.  Since June 2008, gasoline prices have followed a path similar to energy costs as a whole, falling 31.7 percent.

The other two primary components of the energy index, electricity and utility (piped) gas service reported much smaller changes.  In June, prices for utility (piped) gas service fell 3.4 percent while costs for electricity rose 5.3 percent.  Over the year, utility (piped) gas service costs were down 44.9 percent and electricity costs were 2.5 percent lower. 

The cost of grocery food (food at home index) in the Cleveland area increased 1.3 percent during June, following a 0.3 percent decline in May.   Grocery prices increased 4.5 percent for the year.  This annual increase was less than 6.6-percent increase in Cleveland area grocery prices from June 2007 to June 2008.

  

 

 

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Scheduled release date for the July 2009 CPI: Friday, August 14, 2009

Cleveland-Akron, Ohio Combined Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) includes Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit Counties in Ohio.

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.

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Last Modified Date: August 17, 2009