News Release Information
12-1902-ATL
Friday, September 14, 2012
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Consumer Price Index, Atlanta – August 2012
Area prices up 0.6 percent over the two months and 1.5 percent over the year
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Atlanta increased 0.6 percent over the two months, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that energy prices increased 5.7 percent while food prices were unchanged. The index for all items less food and energy edged down 0.2 percent in August. (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 rose 1.5 percent. Annual increases were registered in a number of categories, including food and shelter. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.1 percent over the year. (See chart 1.)
Food
Food prices were unchanged during the July-August pricing period. Prices for both food away from home and food at home were little changed.
Over the year, the food index rose 1.7 percent as prices increased for both food at home (1.6 percent) and food away from home (1.9 percent).
Energy
The energy index advanced 5.7 percent over the two-month pricing period, primarily due to a 10.0 percent rise in motor fuel prices. Utility (piped) gas service prices rose 4.6 percent, while prices for electricity inched down 0.1 percent.
Over the year, the energy index declined 1.6 percent. Price decreases were recorded for utility (piped) gas service (-7.3 percent) and electricity (-2.1 percent), while prices for motor fuel increased 0.4 percent.
All items less food and energy
The index for all items less food and energy edged down 0.2 percent during the July-August pricing period, reflecting price decreases for shelter and recreation. Over the two months, price decreases were noted for used cars and trucks.
From August 2011 to August 2012, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.1 percent. Within the all items less food and energy group, shelter (1.1 percent) and education and communication (2.1 percent) were among the indexes to record over-the-year increases.
Month |
2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2-month | 12-month | 2-month | 12-month | 2-month | 12-month | 2-month | 12-month | 2-month | 12-month | 2-month | 12-month | |
February |
0.0 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 4.8 | 1.1 | -2.4 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 2.4 |
April |
2.1 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 3.7 | 0.0 | -3.5 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.8 |
June |
1.6 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 4.9 | 2.2 | -4.0 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 1.5 |
August |
-0.5 | 2.0 | -0.3 | 5.0 | -0.1 | -3.8 | -0.1 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 0.6 | 1.5 |
October |
0.3 | 4.8 | -2.4 | 2.2 | -1.1 | -2.6 | -0.8 | 0.9 | -1.5 | 3.1 | - | - |
December |
0.4 | 4.1 | -4.6 | -2.9 | -0.3 | 1.8 | -0.2 | 1.0 | -0.3 | 3.0 | - | - |
The October 2012 Consumer Price Index for Atlanta is scheduled to be released on Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. (ET).
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 the 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.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: (800) 877-8339.
For personal assistance or further information on Consumer Price Indexes, as well as other Bureau products, contact the Southeast Information Office at (404) 893-4222 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.
Item and Group |
Indexes |
Percent change from- | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun. 2012 |
Jul. 2012 |
Aug. 2012 |
Aug. 2011 |
Jun. 2012 |
Jul. 2012 |
|
Expenditure category |
||||||
All Items |
214.277 | 215.504 | 1.5 | 0.6 | ||
All items (1967=100) |
646.194 | 649.894 | ||||
Food and beverages |
235.276 | 235.410 | 1.8 | 0.1 | ||
Food |
245.034 | 245.091 | 1.7 | 0.0 | ||
Food at home |
238.562 | 239.174 | 238.220 | 1.6 | -0.1 | -0.4 |
Food away from home |
255.834 | 256.460 | 1.9 | 0.2 | ||
Alcoholic beverages |
148.074 | 148.886 | 3.3 | 0.5 | ||
Housing |
204.258 | 203.762 | 0.5 | -0.2 | ||
Shelter |
211.276 | 209.165 | 210.180 | 1.1 | -0.5 | 0.5 |
Rent of primary residence (1) |
207.109 | 206.563 | 207.176 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
208.533 | 206.222 | 207.226 | 1.3 | -0.6 | 0.5 | |
208.533 | 206.222 | 207.226 | 1.3 | -0.6 | 0.5 | |
Fuels and utilities |
298.730 | 301.209 | -1.9 | 0.8 | ||
Household energy |
268.936 | 270.105 | 271.642 | -4.1 | 1.0 | 0.6 |
Energy Services (1) |
268.195 | 269.511 | 270.959 | -4.1 | 1.0 | 0.5 |
Electricity (1) |
261.020 | 260.993 | 260.740 | -2.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
Utility (piped) gas service (1) |
230.924 | 235.643 | 241.447 | -7.3 | 4.6 | 2.5 |
Household furnishings and operations |
132.354 | 132.325 | -0.4 | 0.0 | ||
Apparel |
131.856 | 131.397 | -4.8 | -0.3 | ||
Transportation |
207.264 | 214.485 | 1.6 | 3.5 | ||
Private transportation |
205.826 | 214.217 | 1.5 | 4.1 | ||
Motor fuel |
291.794 | 294.268 | 321.060 | 0.4 | 10.0 | 9.1 |
Gasoline (all types) |
290.147 | 292.688 | 319.539 | 0.3 | 10.1 | 9.2 |
Unleaded regular (3) |
287.522 | 290.262 | 317.114 | 0.3 | 10.3 | 9.3 |
350.125 | 352.695 | 384.954 | 0.3 | 9.9 | 9.1 | |
Unleaded premium (3) |
289.435 | 291.398 | 317.171 | 0.1 | 9.6 | 8.8 |
Medical Care |
375.050 | 379.110 | 15.6 | 1.1 | ||
Recreation (5) |
90.449 | 90.014 | -0.5 | -0.5 | ||
Education and communication (5) |
126.957 | 128.272 | 2.1 | 1.0 | ||
Other goods and services |
317.739 | 316.930 | 1.0 | -0.3 | ||
Commodity and service group |
||||||
All Items |
214.277 | 215.504 | 1.5 | 0.6 | ||
Commodities |
181.819 | 184.721 | 0.5 | 1.6 | ||
Commodities less food & beverages |
155.559 | 159.475 | -0.2 | 2.5 | ||
Nondurables less food & beverages |
195.229 | 203.245 | -1.3 | 4.1 | ||
Durables |
115.511 | 114.706 | 0.6 | -0.7 | ||
Services |
247.233 | 247.135 | 2.1 | 0.0 | ||
Special aggregate indexes |
||||||
All items less medical care |
205.321 | 206.423 | 0.6 | 0.5 | ||
All items less shelter |
221.082 | 223.463 | 1.5 | 1.1 | ||
Commodities less food |
154.923 | 158.709 | -0.1 | 2.4 | ||
Nondurables |
213.425 | 218.108 | 0.4 | 2.2 | ||
Nondurables less food |
190.530 | 197.984 | -1.0 | 3.9 | ||
Services less rent of shelter (2) |
305.481 | 306.841 | 2.7 | 0.4 | ||
Services less medical care services |
232.099 | 231.729 | 0.8 | -0.2 | ||
Energy |
255.905 | 257.566 | 270.451 | -1.6 | 5.7 | 5.0 |
All items less energy |
209.360 | 209.038 | 2.0 | -0.2 | ||
All items less food and energy |
204.156 | 203.779 | 2.1 | -0.2 | ||
Footnotes |
||||||
- Data not available. |
Last Modified Date: September 14, 2012