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News Release Information

22-43-NEW
Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (617) 565-4141

Consumer Price Index, New York-Newark-Jersey City – December 2021

Area prices down 0.2 percent over the month and up 4.4 percent over the year

Prices in the New York-Newark-Jersey City area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), declined 0.2 percent in December, following a 0.3-percent increase in each of the prior two months, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli attributed the decrease to lower prices for energy and other non-food items. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the year, the CPI-U advanced 4.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.0 percent. Energy prices jumped 21.8 percent, driven by gasoline price increases. Food prices rose 6.4 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices increased 0.3 percent in December. Prices for food at home rose 0.4 percent, with higher prices in three of the six grocery categories. Prices for food away from home increased 0.1 percent.

Over the year, food prices rose 6.4 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 6.0 percent, while prices for food away from home increased 6.9 percent.

Energy

The energy index declined 1.3 percent over the month, with a 1.3-percent decline in household energy prices. Within household energy, electricity prices—down 3.4 percent—were partially offset by increases in natural gas prices—up 3.5 percent. Gasoline prices were down 1.2 percent in December, following 12 consecutive months of increases.

Energy prices climbed 21.8 percent over the year, primarily due to a 50.9-percent jump in gasoline prices. Household energy prices rose 5.5 percent. Within household energy, natural gas prices increased 19.8 percent, while electricity prices declined 5.3 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged down 0.2 percent in December. Lower prices for shelter (-0.3 percent) and recreation (-1.5 percent) were partially offset by higher prices for new and used motor vehicles (1.7 percent) and household furnishings and operations (1.3 percent).

From December 2020 to December 2021, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.0 percent. An 18.2-percent rise in prices for new and used motor vehicles included a 38.1-percent jump in prices for used cars and trucks. Prices for shelter increased 1.2 percent. Among shelter components, owners’ equivalent rent rose 1.6 percent, while residential rent edged up 0.2 percent. Household furnishings and operations rose 8.6 percent.

Table A. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20172018201920202021
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.62.50.41.40.51.60.82.50.41.2

February

0.32.60.51.70.21.30.22.40.31.4

March

0.02.30.01.70.31.6-0.22.00.42.0

April

0.12.00.31.90.31.6-0.51.10.73.2

May

0.11.80.42.20.21.50.51.40.53.2

June

0.21.80.12.00.31.70.11.31.04.1

July

-0.21.60.02.20.01.70.51.7-0.13.5

August

0.21.70.12.20.21.8-0.11.40.13.7

September

0.52.10.42.00.01.40.41.90.53.8

October

-0.21.8-0.12.00.01.5-0.21.70.34.3

November

-0.11.6-0.21.90.11.8-0.31.40.35.0

December

0.11.6-0.21.60.12.20.41.6-0.24.4

The January 2022 Consumer Price Index for the New York-Newark-Jersey City area is scheduled to be released on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on December 2021 Consumer Price Index Data

Data collection by personal visit for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) program has been suspended almost entirely since March 16, 2020. When possible, data normally collected by personal visit were collected either online or by phone. Additionally, data collection in December 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.

For each month from March 2020 to December 2021, BLS has published a summary of the impact of the pandemic on the Consumer Price Index news release and data. The impact summary for December is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/consumer-price-index-covid19-impacts-december-2021.htm. Beginning with publication of January 2022 data in February 2022, this month-specific impact summary will be discontinued. However, information related to the impact of the pandemic will continue to be available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-consumer-price-index.htm.


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measures 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 U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. 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; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000.  Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods 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-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Core Based Statistical Area includes Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties in New York; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties in New Jersey; and Pike County in Pennsylvania.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments 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-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, not seasonally adjusted
(1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and GroupIndexesPercent change from-
Oct.
2021
Nov.
2021
Dec.
2021
Dec.
2020
Oct.
2021
Nov.
2021

Expenditure category

All items

296.472297.490296.8654.40.1-0.2

All items (1967=100)

857.059860.003858.197   

Food and beverages

297.968300.351301.0146.01.00.2

Food

299.049301.334302.1216.41.00.3

Food at home

281.298283.223284.3406.01.10.4

Cereals and bakery products

319.918325.432325.0864.21.6-0.1

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

298.135303.561302.86314.91.6-0.2

Dairy and related products

241.650243.515249.8764.23.42.6

Fruits and vegetables

340.750343.561342.009-1.20.4-0.5

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

279.078276.801278.9895.60.00.8

Other food at home

244.643243.003245.3725.10.31.0

Food away from home

332.368335.227335.5676.91.00.1

Alcoholic beverages

278.108281.782280.7510.61.0-0.4

Housing

316.451317.081316.4252.10.0-0.2

Shelter

397.565398.601397.5821.20.0-0.3

Rent of primary residence

410.024410.245410.8390.20.20.1

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)

407.277407.973408.3371.60.30.1

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)

406.773407.468407.8321.60.30.1

Fuels and utilities

215.260212.512210.0565.2-2.4-1.2

Household energy

205.259202.221199.5045.5-2.8-1.3

Energy services

194.851191.445189.5112.4-2.7-1.0

Electricity

189.933183.584177.392-5.3-6.6-3.4

Utility (piped) gas service

191.279194.030200.79419.85.03.5

Household furnishings and operations

120.390121.767123.3508.62.51.3

Apparel

128.729123.389121.1887.1-5.9-1.8

Transportation

243.749247.737247.27814.71.4-0.2

Private transportation

241.912245.805247.18419.92.20.6

New and used motor vehicles(3)

108.791110.560112.45518.23.41.7

New vehicles(1)

234.143237.957236.02513.10.8-0.8

Used cars and trucks(1)

379.652388.432402.62938.16.13.7

Motor fuel

266.644277.098273.75650.62.7-1.2

Gasoline (all types)

265.799276.242272.92950.92.7-1.2

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

265.288275.908272.40352.72.7-1.3

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

272.936282.846280.70642.82.8-0.8

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

271.924281.379279.15938.72.7-0.8

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

781.223781.194783.1815.10.30.3

Medical care

537.642540.729542.6461.20.90.4

Recreation(3)

138.870140.562138.3844.0-0.3-1.5

Education and communication(3)

155.327155.350155.1153.4-0.1-0.2

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

1,305.6891,305.6891,302.7432.5-0.2-0.2

Other goods and services

466.697459.329460.4862.6-1.30.3

Commodity and service group

All items

296.472297.490296.8654.40.1-0.2

Commodities

210.314211.587211.47110.60.6-0.1

Commodities less food and beverages

157.720158.413157.95314.90.1-0.3

Nondurables less food and beverages

196.570196.548194.04714.4-1.3-1.3

Durables

107.002108.264109.67015.82.51.3

Services

369.375370.231369.2081.90.0-0.3

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

285.982286.912286.1824.70.1-0.3

All items less shelter

256.352257.363256.8956.50.2-0.2

Commodities less food

162.312163.099162.61914.10.2-0.3

Nondurables

248.516249.654248.6429.40.1-0.4

Nondurables less food

201.499201.691199.27313.1-1.1-1.2

Services less rent of shelter(2)

350.106350.790349.7462.8-0.1-0.3

Services less medical care services

354.343354.983353.7291.9-0.2-0.4

Energy

231.275233.247230.25621.8-0.4-1.3

All items less energy

305.179306.129305.6943.50.2-0.1

All items less food and energy

308.434309.172308.5353.00.0-0.2

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2022