This is the unedited press release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.5 percent in January before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The January level of 211.080 (1982-84=100) was 4.3 percent higher than in January 2007.

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.5 percent in January prior to seasonal adjustment. The January level of 206.744 (1982-84=100) was 4.6 percent higher than in January 2007.

The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 0.5 percent in January on a not seasonally adjusted basis. The January level of 121.895 (December 1999=100) was 3.9 percent higher than in January 2007. Please note that the indexes for the post-2006 period are subject to revision. Previously published and revised data for 2006 and 2007 are shown on page 5.

CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U)

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U increased 0.4 percent in January. The indexes for food and for energy each advanced 0.7 percent, following increases in December of 0.1 and 1.7 percent, respectively. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.3 percent, following increases of 0.2 percent in each of the preceding nine months. The January advance reflects larger increases than in December in the indexes for apparel, for medical care, for recreation, for education and communication, and for other goods and services.

The food and beverages index rose 0.7 percent in January, up from 0.1 in December and the largest monthly increase since last February. The index for food at home advanced 0.9 percent, following virtually no change in December. The index for fruits and vegetables increased 2.2 percent in January, following a decline of 0.3 percent in December. The indexes for fresh vegetables, for fresh fruits, and for processed fruits and vegetables increased 3.3, 1.8, and 0.7 percent, respectively. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs advanced 0.8 percent in January, following a decrease of 0.1 percent in December. Prices for poultry, for fish and seafood, for pork, and for other meats each increased, while beef prices were virtually unchanged. The index for dairy products rose 0.2 percent after a 0.2 percent decrease in December as a 2.1 percent increase in cheese prices more than offset a small decline in milk prices. The index for nonalcoholic beverages rose 1.6 percent in January, reflecting increases in prices for carbonated drinks and for coffee. The indexes for cereal and bakery products and for other food at home rose 0.6 and 0.4 percent, respectively. The other two components of the food and beverages index--food away from home and alcoholic beverages--each increased 0.4 percent.

The index for housing increased 0.2 percent in January. The index for shelter increased 0.3 percent in January, the same as in December. Within shelter, the indexes for rent and for owners'' equivalent rent each increased 0.3 percent and the index for lodging away from home rose 1.1 percent. (Prior to seasonal adjustment, the index for lodging away from home increased 5.0 percent.) The index for fuels and utilities was virtually unchanged in January. The index for household fuels declined 0.1 percent as declines in the indexes for natural gas and electricity-- down 2.2 and 0.1 percent, respectively--more than offset a 4.5 percent increase in the index for fuel oil. The indexes for garbage and trash collection and for water and sewerage treatment rose 1.0 and 0.5 percent, respectively. The index for household furnishings and operations increased 0.1 percent in January, following virtually no change in each of the preceding two months.

The transportation index increased 0.5 percent in January. The index for gasoline rose 1.2 percent, accounting for about two-thirds of the overall transportation increase. As of January, gasoline prices were 2.1 percent below their peak level recorded in May 2007. The index for new vehicles declined 0.3 percent in January. (As of January, about 76 percent of the new car sample consisted of 2008 models. The 2008 models will continue to be phased in, with adjustments for quality change, over the next several months as they replace old models at dealerships. For a report on quality changes for the 2008 vehicles represented in the Producer Price Index sample, see news release USDL-07-1787 dated November 14, 2007.) The index for used cars and trucks rose 0.2 percent. During the last 12 months, new vehicle prices have declined 0.6 percent, while prices for used cars and trucks rose 1.4 percent. The index for public transportation increased 0.4 percent in January, largely reflecting a 0.8 percent increase in the index for airline fares.

The index for apparel rose 0.4 percent in January, its fifth consecutive monthly advance. (Prior to seasonal adjustment, apparel prices declined 2.1 percent, largely as a result of post-holiday discounting.)

Medical care costs rose 0.5 percent in January. The index for medical care commodities--prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and medical supplies--rose 0.5 percent. The index for medical care services rose 0.6 percent. The indexes for professional services and for hospital and related services advanced 0.4 and 1.0 percent, respectively.

The index for recreation, which was virtually unchanged in December, increased 0.2 percent in January. Upturns in the indexes for sporting goods and for admissions to movies, theaters, and concerts coupled with a larger increase in the index for club dues and fees for participant sports and group exercises largely accounted for the January advance.

The index for education and communication increased 0.4 percent in January. Educational costs rose 0.6 percent, reflecting increases in prices for college textbooks and charges for child care and nursery school- -up 0.9 and 0.8 percent, respectively. The index for communication rose 0.1 percent. Within the communication group, the index for telephone services rose 0.1 percent and the index for personal computers and peripheral equipment increased 1.0 percent.

The index for other goods and services increased 0.4 percent in January. The index for tobacco and smoking products rose 1.1 percent accounting for about 55 percent of the monthly increase in this major group.

CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W)

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers increased 0.4 percent in January.


Available at:

http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm