News Release Information
12-1905-PHI
Friday, September 14, 2012
Contacts
Technical information:
- (215) 597-3282
- BLSInfoPhiladelphia@bls.gov
- www.bls.gov/ro3
Media contact:
- (215) 861-5600
- BLSMediaPhiladelphia@bls.gov
Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – August 2012
Regional Prices 0.5 Percent Higher Over the Month; 1.3 Percent Higher Over the Year
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast region rose 0.5 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that an advance of 3.0 percent in the energy index was largely responsible for the overall increase since July. The all items less food and energy index also contributed to the overall rise, up 0.3 percent, while the food index was nearly unchanged, inching up 0.1 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)
Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U increased 1.3 percent due mainly to an advance in the all items less food and energy component, up 1.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The food component also rose, up 2.0 percent, while energy prices declined 2.4 percent since August 2011. (See table 1.)
Food
The food index inched up 0.1 percent in August, reflecting small price increases for both food away from home (0.2 percent) and food at home (0.1 percent).
Over the year, the food index advanced 2.0 percent. Prices for the food away from home and food at home components were up 2.5 and 1.7 percent, respectively.
Energy
Following three months of declines totaling 6.7 percent, the energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, rose 3.0 percent in August. The recent one-month increase reflected higher prices for gasoline, up 5.6 percent since July. Moderating the rise in the energy index were lower prices for electricity, down 0.8 percent. Utility (piped) gas service prices were unchanged over the month.
Despite the recent one-month increase, energy prices were down 2.4 percent over the year. Utility (piped) gas service prices dropped 12.3 percent, their 22nd consecutive over-the-year decrease, and electricity prices fell 3.6 percent, their 10th. Gasoline prices rose 0.6 percent since August 2011, partially offsetting these declines.
All items less food and energy
Led by a seasonal increase in apparel prices (3.5 percent), the index for all items less food and energy rose 0.3 percent since July. Also contributing to the recent advance were higher prices for shelter, particularly owners’ equivalent rent of residences (0.2 percent each). Lower prices for new and used motor vehicles (-0.3 percent) and recreation (-0.2 percent) helped to moderate the one-month increase in the all items less food and energy index.
The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.7 percent over the year. The 12-month advance was led by higher shelter prices (1.8 percent), particularly those for owners’ equivalent rent of residences (2.0 percent). Widespread price increases among other components, including medical care (4.0 percent), also contributed to the rise in the all items less food and energy index since August 2011.
The September 2012 Consumer Price Index for the Northeast region is scheduled to be released on October 16, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).
Month | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | |
January |
0.3 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 2.9 |
February |
0.4 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 4.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 2.8 |
March |
0.8 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 3.9 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 2.5 |
April |
0.5 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 0.2 | -0.1 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
May |
0.5 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 4.3 | 0.1 | -0.8 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 3.2 | -0.1 | 1.7 |
June |
0.4 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 5.0 | 0.8 | -1.2 | -0.1 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 3.4 | -0.2 | 1.5 |
July |
0.2 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 5.7 | 0.1 | -1.9 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 3.6 | -0.1 | 1.1 |
August |
-0.2 | 1.6 | -0.3 | 5.5 | 0.3 | -1.2 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 3.8 | 0.5 | 1.3 |
September |
-0.1 | 2.4 | -0.4 | 5.2 | 0.1 | -0.7 | -0.1 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 4.0 | ||
October |
0.2 | 3.1 | -0.9 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.5 | -0.1 | 3.6 | ||
November |
0.6 | 4.0 | -1.6 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 1.5 | -0.1 | 3.2 | ||
December |
0.0 | 3.8 | -0.9 | 0.7 | -0.1 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 1.6 | -0.3 | 2.9 |
Technical Note
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 88 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 29 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. Each month, prices are collected in 87 urban areas across the country from about 4,000 housing units and approximately 26,000 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.
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.
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. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.
The Northeast region is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.
Expenditure category | Indexes | Percent change from |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Historical data |
Jun. 2012 |
Jul. 2012 |
Aug. 2012 |
Aug. 2011 |
Jun. 2012 |
Jul. 2012 |
|
All items |
245.201 | 244.984 | 246.252 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | |
All items (December 1977 = 100) |
386.116 | 385.775 | 387.771 | ||||
Food and beverages |
240.039 | 240.190 | 240.463 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | |
Food |
239.798 | 239.952 | 240.308 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | |
Food at home |
239.056 | 238.950 | 239.199 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
Food away from home |
243.906 | 244.446 | 244.964 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | |
Alcoholic beverages |
241.963 | 242.071 | 241.123 | 1.6 | -0.3 | -0.4 | |
Housing |
251.619 | 251.688 | 252.171 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
Shelter |
303.136 | 303.620 | 304.202 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | |
Rent of primary residence (1) |
300.242 | 300.890 | 301.813 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | |
313.774 | 314.409 | 315.178 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | ||
313.681 | 314.307 | 315.074 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | ||
Fuels and utilities |
215.185 | 213.541 | 214.408 | -4.0 | -0.4 | 0.4 | |
Household energy |
194.873 | 192.831 | 193.613 | -5.5 | -0.6 | 0.4 | |
Energy services (1) |
185.112 | 182.967 | 181.847 | -6.5 | -1.8 | -0.6 | |
Electricity (1) |
190.619 | 187.590 | 186.002 | -3.6 | -2.4 | -0.8 | |
Utility (piped) gas service (1) |
162.510 | 162.334 | 162.254 | -12.3 | -0.2 | 0.0 | |
Household furnishings and operations |
128.380 | 128.357 | 128.209 | 1.0 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
Apparel |
126.999 | 125.107 | 129.468 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 3.5 | |
Transportation |
214.475 | 213.659 | 216.851 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.5 | |
Private transportation |
207.362 | 206.743 | 210.547 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 1.8 | |
New and used motor vehicles (3) |
99.939 | 99.843 | 99.509 | -1.0 | -0.4 | -0.3 | |
New vehicles |
142.576 | 142.371 | 142.275 | 0.4 | -0.2 | -0.1 | |
98.817 | 98.674 | 98.609 | 0.4 | -0.2 | -0.1 | ||
New cars (4) |
138.334 | 138.215 | 138.203 | -0.3 | -0.1 | 0.0 | |
Used cars and trucks |
164.734 | 165.205 | 164.055 | 0.0 | -0.4 | -0.7 | |
Motor fuel |
296.226 | 293.789 | 310.036 | 0.6 | 4.7 | 5.5 | |
Gasoline (all types) |
295.081 | 292.702 | 308.989 | 0.6 | 4.7 | 5.6 | |
Gasoline, unleaded regular (4) |
296.395 | 293.771 | 310.480 | 0.4 | 4.8 | 5.7 | |
300.810 | 298.828 | 314.505 | 1.0 | 4.6 | 5.2 | ||
Gasoline, unleaded premium (4) |
285.020 | 283.613 | 298.182 | 1.2 | 4.6 | 5.1 | |
Medical care |
437.098 | 438.180 | 439.433 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | |
Medical care commodities |
366.859 | 370.806 | 373.346 | 5.4 | 1.8 | 0.7 | |
Medical care services |
454.557 | 454.432 | 455.123 | 3.5 | 0.1 | 0.2 | |
Professional services |
342.037 | 341.375 | 341.370 | 1.2 | -0.2 | 0.0 | |
Recreation (3) |
119.880 | 119.766 | 119.586 | 0.4 | -0.2 | -0.2 | |
Education and communication (3) |
134.973 | 134.788 | 135.460 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | |
Other goods and services |
427.178 | 427.746 | 428.773 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | |
Commodity and service group |
|||||||
Commodities |
193.235 | 192.791 | 194.931 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | |
Commodities less food and beverages |
165.193 | 164.507 | 167.378 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.7 | |
Nondurables less food and beverages |
212.243 | 211.091 | 217.193 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 2.9 | |
Durables |
112.191 | 111.988 | 111.597 | -0.1 | -0.5 | -0.3 | |
Services |
296.218 | 296.215 | 296.666 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
Special aggregate indexes |
|||||||
All items less shelter |
225.877 | 225.399 | 226.930 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.7 | |
All items less medical care |
236.713 | 236.448 | 237.710 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.5 | |
Commodities less food |
168.196 | 167.528 | 170.310 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 1.7 | |
Nondurables |
227.168 | 226.616 | 230.041 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.5 | |
Nondurables less food |
213.930 | 212.844 | 218.576 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.7 | |
Services less rent of shelter (2) |
299.263 | 298.715 | 299.029 | 0.9 | -0.1 | 0.1 | |
Services less medical care services |
285.156 | 285.159 | 285.594 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
Energy |
237.253 | 235.042 | 242.207 | -2.4 | 2.1 | 3.0 | |
All items less energy |
248.396 | 248.389 | 249.043 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | |
All items less food and energy |
251.518 | 251.481 | 252.195 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | |
Footnotes |
|||||||
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. |
Last Modified Date: Septmeber 14, 2011