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News Release Information

20-1724-KAN
Friday, September 11, 2020

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

Consumer Price Index, Midwest Region – August 2020

Area prices were up 0.4 percent over the past month, up 1.1 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Midwest Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.4 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The August increase was influenced by higher prices within the index for all items less food and energy. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U advanced 1.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.9 percent over the year and food prices rose 3.0 percent. In contrast energy prices fell 10.7 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices declined 0.3 percent for the month of August. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home decreased 0.7 percent, while prices for food away from home advanced 0.3 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 3.0 percent. Prices for food at home increased 3.4 percent since a year ago and prices for food away from home advanced 2.5 percent.

Energy

The energy index edged down 0.2 percent over the month. The decrease was due to lower prices for gasoline (-1.0 percent). Prices for natural gas service rose 1.7 percent, and prices for electricity were virtually unchanged (0.1 percent) for the same period.

Energy prices fell 10.7 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-19.2 percent). Prices paid for electricity declined 1.3 percent and prices for natural gas service decreased 1.6 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.6 percent in August. Higher prices for used cars and trucks (5.9 percent) and shelter (0.2 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for other goods and services (-0.7 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.9 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (2.3 percent) and medical care services (5.3 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a price decrease in apparel (-7.7 percent).

Table A. Midwest region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20162017201820192020
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

-0.30.80.72.20.41.6-0.20.80.42.5

February

0.20.40.82.40.91.70.91.30.32.1

March

0.60.50.21.90.41.81.31.7-0.51.0

April

1.10.80.51.80.61.80.91.5-1.1-0.4

May

0.80.80.41.40.92.30.61.30.3-0.4

June

1.00.80.00.90.72.50.31.20.80.4

July

0.10.40.11.30.12.40.21.50.50.7

August

-0.30.60.31.5-0.12.10.21.50.41.1

September

0.41.10.51.50.11.90.01.4

October

0.11.00.11.50.22.20.21.5

November

-0.41.20.01.9-0.51.40.01.9

December

-0.21.80.01.7-0.91.3-0.22.3

The September 2020 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest Region is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, October 13, 2020.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on August 2020 Consumer Price Index Data

Data collection by personal visit for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) program has been suspended since March 16, 2020. When possible, data normally collected by personal visit were collected either online or by phone. Additionally, data collection in August was affected by the temporary closing or limited operations of certain types of establishments. These factors resulted in an increase in the number of prices considered temporarily unavailable and imputed. While the CPI program attempted to collect as much data as possible, many indexes are based on smaller amounts of collected prices than usual, and a small number of indexes that are normally published were not published this month. Additional information is available at https://www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-consumer-price-index.htm.


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 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 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 75 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 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/pdf/homch17.pdf.

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 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 Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
Jun.
2020
Jul.
2020
Aug.
2020
Aug.
2019
Jun.
2020
Jul.
2020

All items

239.259240.430241.3621.10.90.4

All items (December 1977 = 100)

389.287391.193392.710   

Food and beverages

256.156255.651254.9942.9-0.5-0.3

Food

255.935255.251254.4883.0-0.6-0.3

Food at home

238.991236.510234.7383.4-1.8-0.7

Cereals and bakery products

263.866263.315262.5152.3-0.5-0.3

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

284.075270.371262.0865.7-7.7-3.1

Dairy and related products

205.087205.139208.6336.11.71.7

Fruits and vegetables

270.590270.542271.6700.60.40.4

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

168.144168.582166.2472.1-1.1-1.4

Other food at home

204.792205.355204.5473.3-0.1-0.4

Food away from home

284.520286.524287.2652.51.00.3

Alcoholic beverages

257.467259.202259.8691.90.90.3

Housing

237.990238.178238.8222.00.30.3

Shelter

286.137286.463287.1792.30.40.2

Rent of primary residence(1)

287.804288.153288.9633.40.40.3

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)(2)

292.443292.860293.8673.00.50.3

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)(2)

292.368292.780293.7893.00.50.3

Fuels and utilities

224.767224.181225.260-0.50.20.5

Household energy

180.265179.607180.476-1.70.10.5

Energy services(1)

187.706187.152188.155-1.40.20.5

Electricity(1)

211.431212.409212.582-1.30.50.1

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

137.785134.840137.092-1.6-0.51.7

Household furnishings and operations

117.208117.419117.6532.00.40.2

Apparel

105.982106.074107.366-7.71.31.2

Transportation

189.894195.695198.115-3.44.31.2

Private transportation

187.562193.504195.883-2.34.41.2

New and used motor vehicles(3)

97.56599.656101.6973.04.22.0

New vehicles

138.803140.327139.6971.90.6-0.4

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

98.12699.19298.7451.90.6-0.5

New cars(4)

136.532139.099138.6164.01.5-0.3

Used cars and trucks

135.976141.128149.3904.29.95.9

Motor fuel

187.467194.554192.626-19.22.8-1.0

Gasoline (all types)

186.295193.576191.645-19.22.9-1.0

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

180.505187.675185.785-19.52.9-1.0

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

222.849230.053227.404-16.92.0-1.2

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

214.002221.246219.246-16.52.5-0.9

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

661.029735.087746.3872.012.91.5

Medical care

517.940519.089521.8984.30.80.5

Medical care commodities

382.917383.436390.020-0.11.91.7

Medical care services

563.012564.365565.9885.30.50.3

Professional services

428.816429.462429.4481.90.10.0

Recreation(3)

123.040121.476122.0530.7-0.80.5

Education and communication(3)

139.006140.550141.1372.71.50.4

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)

1,203.3481,207.9691,212.6651.00.80.4

Other goods and services

447.885446.854443.8451.7-0.9-0.7

Commodity and service group

Commodities

177.371178.516179.274-0.61.10.4

Commodities less food and beverages

140.840142.530143.765-2.82.10.9

Nondurables less food and beverages

179.304181.492181.997-7.21.50.3

Durables

101.808103.008104.5352.32.71.5

Services

303.312304.487305.5952.20.80.4

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

224.930226.387227.3960.51.10.4

All items less medical care

226.046227.220228.0630.70.90.4

Commodities less food

144.385146.082147.306-2.62.00.8

Nondurables

216.663217.579217.533-1.90.40.0

Nondurables less food

183.633185.786186.299-6.51.50.3

Services less rent of shelter(2)

330.832332.955334.5282.01.10.5

Services less medical care services

283.866285.032286.1041.70.80.4

Energy

183.717186.542186.154-10.71.3-0.2

All items less energy

247.634248.668249.7362.00.80.4

All items less food and energy

246.892248.233249.6281.91.10.6

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) Indexes 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.
(6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.

Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, September 11, 2020