Prices in the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), edged up 0.2 percent, after ticking up 0.1 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli attributed the increase to higher prices for shelter and apparel. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the year, the CPI-U was up 0.3 percent. (See table A.) The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.0 percent. (See table 1.) For both indexes, the September increase was the largest since 2014. (See chart 1.)

Food

The food index increased 0.4 percent in September, following a 0.3-percent increase in August. Higher prices for lettuce, pork chops, and snacks contributed to a 0.4-percent increase in prices for food at home. Prices for food away from home increased 0.6 percent.

Over the year, the food index increased 1.5 percent. At-home food prices rose 1.0 percent, while away-from-home food prices rose 2.2 percent.

Energy

The energy index declined 4.5 percent, largely due to a 9.6-percent drop in gasoline prices. Household energy prices decreased 1.0 percent. A reduction in electricity charges (-1.3 percent) led to the decline in household energy prices. Natural gas prices also declined (-0.5 percent).

For the year ended September 2015, the energy index fell 19.5 percent; gasoline prices dropped 31.7 percent, and household energy prices declined 9.1 percent. Within household energy, natural gas prices were down 11.8 percent, and electricity prices were down 2.0 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.5 percent after a 0.4-percent increase in August. Shelter prices advanced 0.6 percent, reflecting a 0.8-percent increase for residential rent, the largest monthly increase reported in over seven years. Owners’ equivalent rent, up 0.5 percent, also contributed to the increase. Apparel prices, often up at this time of year, rose 4.1 percent, following a 4.9-percent increase in August. Higher prices for college tuition and fees contributed to a 1.0-percent increase in education and communication.

From September 2014 to September 2015, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.0 percent. A 3.1-percent advance in shelter prices was largely attributable to increases in residential rent (3.5 percent) and owners’ equivalent rent (2.8 percent). Apparel prices increased 3.6 percent. Medical care prices rose 1.3 percent, and education and communication increased 1.0 percent.

Table A. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes (not seasonally adjusted)

Month	2010		2011		2012		2013		2014		2015
	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	0.2	2.4	0.3	1.5	0.4	2.8	0.5	2.2	0.9	1.9	0.1	-0.5
February	0.0	1.8	0.5	2.1	0.4	2.6	0.6	2.4	-0.2	1.1	0.3	0.1
March	0.5	2.1	0.7	2.3	0.6	2.6	0.1	1.9	0.4	1.3	0.2	-0.1
April	0.2	2.1	0.4	2.5	0.2	2.4	-0.2	1.4	0.0	1.6	0.1	0.0
May	0.2	2.2	0.6	2.9	0.1	1.8	0.1	1.4	0.5	1.9	0.4	-0.1
June	-0.1	1.5	0.2	3.2	-0.1	1.6	0.3	1.8	0.0	1.7	0.2	0.1
July	0.1	1.5	0.3	3.3	-0.2	1.1	0.2	2.1	0.1	1.6	-0.1	-0.1
August	0.2	1.4	0.4	3.5	0.6	1.4	0.1	1.7	-0.2	1.3	0.1	0.1
September	0.0	1.2	0.2	3.8	0.4	1.6	0.3	1.6	0.0	1.0	0.2	0.3
October	0.2	1.5	-0.2	3.3	-0.1	1.7	-0.6	1.1	-0.2	1.3
November	0.0	1.3	-0.3	3.0	0.0	2.0	0.1	1.2	-0.4	0.8
December	0.0	1.4	-0.4	2.7	-0.3	2.1	0.0	1.5	-0.5	0.3

CPI-W

In September, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 256.386, up 0.1 percent over the month. The CPI-W decreased 0.2 percent over the year.

The October 2015 Consumer Price Index for New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island is scheduled to be released Tuesday, November 17, 2015, 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 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 cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa. consolidated area covered in this release is comprised of Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties in New York State; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren Counties in New Jersey; Fairfield County and parts of Litchfield, Middlesex, and New Haven Counties in Connecticut; and Pike County in Pennsylvania.

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, New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)(not seasonally adjusted)

Item and Group	Indexes			Percent change from-
	July 2015	Aug. 2015	Sept. 2015	Sept. 2014	July 2015	Aug. 2015
Expenditure category
All items	261.199	261.347	261.887	0.3	0.3	0.2
All items (1967=100)	755.091	755.517	757.080
Food and beverages	255.558	256.254	257.249	1.5	0.7	0.4
Food	255.400	256.147	257.272	1.5	0.7	0.4
Food at home	253.429	254.656	255.562	1.0	0.8	0.4
Food away from home	264.876	264.980	266.439	2.2	0.6	0.6
Alcoholic beverages	253.525	253.419	252.427	1.4	-0.4	-0.4
Housing	279.811	279.988	281.295	1.6	0.5	0.5
Shelter	349.931	351.038	353.080	3.1	0.9	0.6
Rent of primary residence (1)	359.322	360.239	363.025	3.5	1.0	0.8
Owners' equivalent rent of residences (1) (2)	355.990	357.346	359.282	2.8	0.9	0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence (1) (2)	355.598	356.962	358.867	2.8	0.9	0.5
Fuels and utilities	189.206	185.294	183.888	-7.6	-2.8	-0.8
Household energy	182.362	177.971	176.237	-9.1	-3.4	-1.0
Energy services (1)	174.437	172.104	170.232	-4.8	-2.4	-1.1
Electricity (1)	190.894	187.481	185.034	-2.0	-3.1	-1.3
Utility (piped) gas service (1)	135.821	135.772	135.133	-11.8	-0.5	-0.5
Household furnishings and operations	113.431	113.295	114.099	-2.8	0.6	0.7
Apparel	125.403	131.507	136.900	3.6	9.2	4.1
Transportation	219.546	215.733	211.043	-7.5	-3.9	-2.2
Private transportation	205.477	201.825	197.045	-8.8	-4.1	-2.4
Motor fuel	220.073	206.476	186.623	-31.7	-15.2	-9.6
Gasoline (all types)	219.119	205.570	185.782	-31.7	-15.2	-9.6
Gasoline, unleaded regular (3)	218.778	204.321	183.471	-32.9	-16.1	-10.2
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (3) (4)	226.041	216.306	200.936	-27.7	-11.1	-7.1
Gasoline, unleaded premium (3)	225.834	217.238	203.448	-25.8	-9.9	-6.3
Medical care	445.132	447.186	445.282	1.3	0.0	-0.4
Recreation (5)	119.097	118.631	118.392	0.5	-0.6	-0.2
Education and communication (5)	140.798	141.283	142.713	1.0	1.4	1.0
Other goods and services	404.439	404.239	405.528	1.3	0.3	0.3
Commodity and service group
All items	261.199	261.347	261.887	0.3	0.3	0.2
Commodities	189.533	189.319	189.115	-3.3	-0.2	-0.1
Commodities less food and beverages	148.289	147.649	146.878	-7.1	-1.0	-0.5
Nondurables less food and beverages	186.067	185.517	183.949	-9.6	-1.1	-0.8
Durables	99.588	98.894	99.002	-1.7	-0.6	0.1
Services	322.279	322.714	323.852	2.1	0.5	0.4
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care	253.164	253.238	253.870	0.2	0.3	0.2
All items less shelter	226.257	225.997	225.906	-1.5	-0.2	0.0
Commodities less food	152.375	151.745	150.963	-6.7	-0.9	-0.5
Nondurables	222.544	222.589	222.239	-3.7	-0.1	-0.2
Nondurables less food	190.294	189.766	188.224	-8.9	-1.1	-0.8
Services less rent of shelter (2)	302.901	302.539	302.694	0.7	-0.1	0.1
Services less medical care services	312.560	312.851	314.068	2.1	0.5	0.4
Energy	199.302	191.334	182.653	-19.5	-8.4	-4.5
All items less energy	269.025	269.948	271.373	1.9	0.9	0.5
All items less food and energy	273.229	274.190	275.679	2.0	0.9	0.5
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) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (5) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. The New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA consolidated area comprises the five boroughs of New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Orange Counties in New York State; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Middlesex, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren Counties in New Jersey; Fairfield County and parts of Litchfield, New Haven, and Middlesex Counties in Connecticut; and Pike County in Pennsylvania.