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News Release Information

16-2173-KAN
Thursday, November 17, 2016

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

Consumer Price Index, Midwest Region – October 2016

Prices in the Midwest little changed in October, but 1.0 percent higher over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Midwest registered little movement in October (-0.1 percent), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Lower costs for electricity (-6.9 percent) had the largest downward impact on the index. Higher prices for apparel (1.6 percent), owners’ equivalent rent of residences (0.2 percent), and medical care services (0.4 percent) had the largest upward impact on the all items index. Overall, energy costs were 2.3 percent lower over the month.  Food prices rose 0.2 percent while the index for all items less food and energy was unchanged. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The CPI-U for the Midwest advanced 1.0 percent from October 2015 to October 2016. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices declined 0.2 percent, and the energy index, which includes motor fuel and household fuels, fell 2.9 percent. Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U rose 1.7 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices in the Midwest rose 0.2 percent in October. The index for food at home was little changed (0.1 percent) while costs for food away from home rose 0.2 percent.

From October 2015 to October 2016, the index for food decreased 0.2 percent. Prices for food at home registered their thirteenth consecutive over-the-year decrease, down 2.0 percent. Costs for food away from home rose 2.6 percent over the year.

Energy

The energy index turned down 2.3 percent in October. The decrease was attributable to a 6.9-percent decline in electricity costs. Electricity prices typically decline in October reflecting a shift in seasonal rate schedules. In contrast, motor fuel prices rose 0.3 percent and utility (piped) gas service costs advanced 0.6 percent.

Energy costs declined 2.9 percent from October 2015 to October 2016, largely due to a 7.7-percent drop in motor fuel prices. Costs for utility (piped) gas service and electricity, up 3.8 and 0.7 percent, respectively, moderated the over-the-year decline.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy for the Midwest was unchanged in October due to offsetting movements. Expenditure categories registering higher prices over the month included apparel (1.6 percent), owners’ equivalent rent of residences (0.2 percent), and medical care services (0.4 percent). In contrast, used cars and trucks (-1.8 percent) and recreation (-0.5 percent) were among the expenditure categories posting lower prices over the month.

The index for all items less food and energy was up 1.7 percent from October 2015 to October 2016. A 2.8-percent rise in shelter costs led the advance. Prices for medical care services had the next largest upward impact with a 4.6-percent increase.

 

The Midwest Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) stood at 227.358 in October 2016. A typical market basket of goods and services that cost $100.00 in the 1982-84 base period cost $227.36 in October 2016.

Table A. Midwest region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20122013201420152016
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.62.80.11.30.51.4-0.6-0.30.30.8

February

0.22.71.12.20.60.90.3-0.50.00.4

March

1.02.80.21.40.91.50.6-0.90.60.5

April

0.22.3-0.11.20.31.90.1-1.10.40.8

May

-0.11.50.51.80.21.60.4-0.80.40.8

June

-0.11.40.32.20.51.70.5-0.70.60.8

July

0.01.3-0.41.8-0.31.80.0-0.5-0.50.4

August

0.71.80.11.2-0.21.60.0-0.30.10.6

September

0.31.90.11.00.11.6-0.3-0.80.21.1

October

-0.32.2-0.50.8-0.51.6-0.1-0.3-0.11.0

November

-0.41.8-0.21.0-0.61.2-0.5-0.2  

December

-0.21.8-0.21.0-0.70.7-0.60.0  
CPI-W

In October, the Midwest Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 221.422, down 0.2 percent over the month. The CPI-W increased 0.7 percent over the year.

The November 2016 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest region is scheduled to be released on Thursday, December 15, 2016.


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 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 28 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 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 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/cpi/.

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 areas; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Midwest region is comprised of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods

Midwest (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Aug.
2016
Sep.
2016
Oct.
2016
Oct.
2015
Aug.
2016
Sep.
2016

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

227.097227.636227.3581.00.1-0.1

All items (December 1977=100)

369.500370.376369.924   

Food and beverages

240.178240.247240.694-0.10.20.2

Food

239.736239.803240.215-0.20.20.2

Food at home

226.294226.091226.418-2.00.10.1

Food away from home

262.302262.834263.3902.60.40.2

Alcoholic beverages

244.022244.116245.0480.90.40.4

Housing

218.070218.816217.8422.3-0.1-0.4

Shelter

256.634257.954257.8982.80.50.0

Rent of primary residence (1)

255.594256.240256.8122.80.50.2

Owners' equiv. rent of residences (1) (2)

260.595261.237261.6572.90.40.2

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence (1) (2)

260.584261.227261.6472.90.40.2

Fuels and utilities

222.530222.299214.5142.3-3.6-3.5

Household energy

184.069183.727175.6871.7-4.6-4.4

Energy services (1)

192.560192.177183.2231.7-4.8-4.7

Electricity (1)

214.736213.025198.4140.7-7.6-6.9

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

144.414146.215147.0273.81.80.6

Household furnishings and operations

114.253113.880114.233-1.30.00.3

Apparel

115.994118.904120.841-1.54.21.6

Transportation

192.636192.363192.021-2.4-0.3-0.2

Private transportation

187.362186.994186.761-2.3-0.3-0.1

New and used motor vehicles (3)

98.49297.67397.075-1.5-1.4-0.6

New vehicles

138.376138.399138.623-0.40.20.2

New cars and trucks (3) (4)

97.77697.81997.983-0.60.20.2

New cars (4)

134.179134.235134.836-0.50.50.4

Used cars and trucks

145.698143.225140.615-3.9-3.5-1.8

Motor fuel

198.802200.085200.608-7.70.90.3

Gasoline (all types)

197.797199.049199.519-7.60.90.2

Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)

192.156193.392193.667-8.10.80.1

Gasoline, Unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

230.962230.799232.708-6.20.80.8

Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)

220.799222.432223.743-4.81.30.6

Medical Care

473.820474.779476.0054.70.50.3

Medical care commodities

384.871385.764384.7155.10.0-0.3

Medical care services

503.616504.595506.6274.60.60.4

Professional services

408.263408.037407.4563.8-0.2-0.1

Recreation (3)

118.858119.023118.3790.9-0.4-0.5

Education and communication (3)

140.606140.582140.6790.00.10.1

Other goods and services

408.757410.438410.4812.00.40.0
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

227.097227.636227.3581.00.1-0.1

Commodities

175.837176.146176.386-1.40.30.1

Commodities less food & beverages

144.689145.084145.235-2.30.40.1

Nondurables less food & beverages

185.412186.888187.811-1.71.30.5

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

230.959231.527231.805-1.80.40.1

Durables

104.623104.189103.756-2.4-0.8-0.4

Services

279.959280.733279.9262.60.0-0.3

Rent of shelter (2)

263.698265.074265.0352.90.50.0

Transportation services

297.780297.836297.7441.30.00.0

Other services

334.384334.526334.1351.5-0.1-0.1
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

215.418215.936215.5870.70.1-0.2

All items less food

224.928225.541225.1531.20.1-0.2

All items less shelter

218.688218.953218.5940.30.0-0.2

Commodities less food

147.803148.192148.362-2.10.40.1

Nondurables

212.323213.135213.835-0.90.70.3

Nondurables less food

188.515189.914190.836-1.61.20.5

Nondurables less food and apparel

230.756231.279231.612-1.60.40.1

Services less rent of shelter (2)

313.995314.159312.4692.3-0.5-0.5

Services less medical care services

263.287264.045263.0322.3-0.1-0.4

Energy

191.216191.573187.192-2.9-2.1-2.3

All items less energy

233.458234.021234.1451.40.30.1

All items less food and energy

233.028233.682233.7541.70.30.0

Commodities less food and energy commodities

144.838145.132145.231-0.90.30.1

Energy commodities

197.915199.157199.951-7.51.00.4

Services less energy services

291.328292.231292.2802.70.30.0

Footnotes
(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.
 

Regions defined as the four Census regions. Midwest includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

Table 2. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods

Midwest (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Aug.
2016
Sep.
2016
Oct.
2016
Oct.
2015
Aug.
2016
Sep.
2016

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

221.405221.759221.4220.70.0-0.2

All items (December 1977=100)

358.061358.634358.088   

Food and beverages

240.039240.002240.522-0.40.20.2

Food

239.592239.543240.041-0.50.20.2

Food at home

226.865226.614227.013-2.20.10.2

Food away from home

263.522263.890264.5892.60.40.3

Alcoholic beverages

245.585245.743246.6051.00.40.4

Housing

213.194213.826212.7882.3-0.2-0.5

Shelter

245.692246.723246.8472.80.50.1

Rent of primary residence (1)

256.212256.848257.4292.80.50.2

Owners' equiv. rent of residences (1) (2)

242.886243.480243.8702.80.40.2

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence (1) (2)

242.884243.480243.8682.80.40.2

Fuels and utilities

223.637223.468215.5682.3-3.6-3.5

Household energy

184.804184.524176.4261.7-4.5-4.4

Energy services (1)

191.943191.630182.6141.8-4.9-4.7

Electricity (1)

212.352210.715196.4410.5-7.5-6.8

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

145.886147.924148.6544.51.90.5

Household furnishings and operations

112.115111.992112.128-1.80.00.1

Apparel

113.349116.399118.284-2.44.41.6

Transportation

190.030189.608189.054-2.9-0.5-0.3

Private transportation

186.723186.252185.725-2.9-0.5-0.3

New and used motor vehicles (3)

98.60297.61996.723-2.0-1.9-0.9

New vehicles

141.365141.496141.593-0.60.20.1

Used cars and trucks

146.249143.773141.168-3.9-3.5-1.8

Motor fuel

199.157200.563200.987-7.80.90.2

Gasoline (all types)

198.059199.424199.797-7.80.90.2

Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)

192.266193.623193.780-8.30.80.1

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

230.690230.674232.624-6.20.80.8

Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)

220.507222.217223.462-5.01.30.6

Medical Care

479.571480.496481.4834.70.40.2

Medical care commodities

378.024378.360376.4914.6-0.4-0.5

Medical care services

510.947512.073514.0684.70.60.4

Professional services

410.364410.145409.6043.9-0.2-0.1

Recreation (3)

114.845114.723114.3190.7-0.5-0.4

Education and communication (3)

132.347132.169132.270-0.2-0.10.1

Other goods and services

456.055457.557457.7342.30.40.0
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

221.405221.759221.4220.70.0-0.2

Commodities

178.183178.374178.440-1.70.10.0

Commodities less food & beverages

148.224148.499148.383-2.70.1-0.1

Nondurables less food & beverages

191.994193.489194.246-2.21.20.4

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

240.371241.066241.232-2.30.40.1

Durables

106.834106.210105.474-2.7-1.3-0.7

Services

272.495273.031272.2572.5-0.1-0.3

Rent of shelter (2)

244.090245.126245.2712.80.50.1

Transportation services

299.280299.402299.7802.10.20.1

Other services

309.081308.657308.5411.3-0.20.0
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

211.510211.842211.4540.40.0-0.2

All items less food

217.752218.171217.6990.90.0-0.2

All items less shelter

215.156215.273214.767-0.1-0.2-0.2

Commodities less food

151.146151.419151.325-2.60.1-0.1

Nondurables

216.176216.948217.597-1.20.70.3

Nondurables less food

194.723196.152196.914-2.01.10.4

Nondurables less food and apparel

239.233239.883240.101-2.00.40.1

Services less rent of shelter (2)

278.164278.117276.4312.3-0.6-0.6

Services less medical care services

256.748257.246256.3092.3-0.2-0.4

Energy

190.692191.195187.081-3.3-1.9-2.2

All items less energy

227.039227.379227.4871.20.20.0

All items less food and energy

224.689225.101225.1361.50.20.0

Commodities less food and energy commodities

147.889147.998147.780-1.3-0.1-0.1

Energy commodities

198.420199.773200.432-7.81.00.3

Services less energy services

283.252283.893284.1182.60.30.1

Footnotes
(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 1984=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.
 

Regions defined as the four Census regions. Midwest includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, November 17, 2016