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News Release Information

15-298-SAN
Thursday, February 26, 2015

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

Consumer Price Index, West Region — January 2015

Area prices were down 0.3 percent over the past month, up 0.7 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), declined 0.3 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The January decrease was influenced by lower prices for gasoline. (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 0.7 percent.  (See chart 1 and table A.) Energy prices dropped 18.7 percent, largely the result of an decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.0 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices inched up 0.2 percent for the month of January. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home advanced 0.3 percent, while prices for food away from home were virtually unchanged for the same period.

Over the year, food prices increased 3.8 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 4.4 percent since a year ago, and prices for food away from home advanced 3.0 percent.

Energy

The energy index declined 8.0 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-15.7 percent). Prices for electricity rose 1.9 percent, while prices for natural gas service were virtually unchanged in for the same period.

Energy prices dropped 18.7 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-32.7 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service increased 6.1 percent, and prices for electricity advanced 1.0 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy inched up 0.2 percent in January. Among categories contributing to the increase were higher prices for shelter (0.4 percent) and other goods and services (0.4 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.0 percent. Higher prices for shelter (3.8 percent) and medical care (2.7 percent) were partly offset by price declines in household furnishings and operations (-0.9 percent) and apparel (-0.1 percent).

Table A. West Region CPI-U monthly and annual percent changes (not seasonally adjusted)
Month201020112012201320142015
MonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnual

January

0.31.90.51.40.42.60.31.70.31.7-0.30.7

February

0.11.40.61.90.42.50.82.00.41.3  

March

0.31.60.92.60.92.40.41.50.61.5  

April

0.21.50.63.00.22.10.01.30.31.8  

May

0.11.30.33.20.22.00.21.30.62.3  

June

-0.10.6-0.23.1-0.22.00.11.50.12.3  

July

0.10.8-0.12.9-0.31.80.01.90.12.3  

August

0.10.70.23.00.52.10.11.5-0.12.1  

September

-0.10.50.43.50.52.20.21.30.12.0  

October

0.10.60.03.40.42.5-0.10.9-0.12.0  

November

0.00.9-0.23.2-0.71.9-0.41.3-0.61.7  

December

0.21.3-0.32.7-0.51.70.01.8-0.51.3  

The February 2015 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on March 24, 2015


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 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 4,000 housing units and approximately 26,000 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 West Region covered in this release is comprised of the following thirteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.

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

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

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Nov.
2014
Dec.
2014
Jan.
2015
Jan.
2014
Nov.
2014
Dec.
2014

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

240.220239.095238.3180.7-0.8-0.3

All items (December 1977=100)

388.302386.484385.227   

Food and beverages

247.802248.679249.2193.60.60.2

Food

247.840248.803249.4033.80.60.2

Food at home

248.290249.592250.4414.40.90.3

Food away from home

245.987246.468246.7133.00.30.1

Alcoholic beverages

243.905243.682243.4631.5-0.2-0.1

Housing

248.633249.072250.1233.20.60.4

Shelter

280.264281.000282.1473.80.70.4

Rent of primary residence (1)

294.000294.877295.9274.00.70.4

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

294.323295.058295.9093.40.50.3

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

294.313295.047295.9003.40.50.3

Fuels and utilities

271.476272.267274.6843.01.20.9

Household energy

238.047237.907240.2501.60.91.0

Energy services (1)

239.340239.150242.4082.21.31.4

Electricity (1)

261.281258.855263.6581.00.91.9

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

202.164207.308207.0796.12.4-0.1

Household furnishings and operations

128.939128.131128.181-0.9-0.60.0

Apparel

120.544116.587116.559-0.1-3.30.0

Transportation

205.842198.919190.929-9.5-7.2-4.0

Private transportation

199.259192.744184.366-10.3-7.5-4.3

New and used motor vehicles (3)

99.74299.35199.511-1.2-0.20.2

New vehicles

145.046145.050145.4960.20.30.3

New cars and trucks (3) (4)

100.810100.847101.1570.20.30.3

New cars (4)

145.383145.247145.783-0.10.30.4

Used cars and trucks

139.972137.692137.029-4.5-2.1-0.5

Motor fuel

252.545224.945189.669-32.6-24.9-15.7

Gasoline (all types)

250.701223.075188.054-32.7-25.0-15.7

Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)

249.180221.296185.737-33.3-25.5-16.1

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

237.765211.919181.020-31.3-23.9-14.6

Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)

240.636215.594184.778-30.8-23.2-14.3

Medical Care

443.823446.377447.2862.70.80.2

Medical care commodities

334.974340.579341.5853.52.00.3

Medical care services

478.535479.809480.6592.40.40.2

Professional services

333.251332.813333.5111.60.10.2

Recreation (3)

109.476109.058109.0620.0-0.40.0

Education and communication (3)

138.279138.071138.2860.00.00.2

Other goods and services

398.965399.426401.0121.40.50.4
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

240.220239.095238.3180.7-0.8-0.3

Commodities

181.169178.573176.041-2.9-2.8-1.4

Commodities less food & beverages

147.422143.483139.773-7.3-5.2-2.6

Nondurables less food & beverages

188.918181.257173.286-10.5-8.3-4.4

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

237.077226.847213.492-13.8-9.9-5.9

Durables

109.111108.556108.712-2.1-0.40.1

Services

294.457294.763295.6852.90.40.3

Rent of shelter (2)

298.151298.941300.1563.70.70.4

Transportation services

280.444278.753278.2421.8-0.8-0.2

Other services

333.220332.790332.8350.7-0.10.0
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

230.862229.595228.7530.5-0.9-0.4

All items less food

239.208237.750236.7530.2-1.0-0.4

All items less shelter

225.318223.389221.784-0.9-1.6-0.7

Commodities less food

151.140147.288143.659-6.9-4.9-2.5

Nondurables

218.783215.043210.976-3.2-3.6-1.9

Nondurables less food

193.178185.924178.377-9.7-7.7-4.1

Nondurables less food and apparel

237.370228.117216.045-12.4-9.0-5.3

Services less rent of shelter (2)

323.174322.879323.5221.90.10.2

Services less medical care services

281.662281.909282.8292.90.40.3

Energy

248.536233.116214.552-18.7-13.7-8.0

All items less energy

241.536241.484242.0472.30.20.2

All items less food and energy

241.191240.962241.5202.00.10.2

Commodities less food and energy commodities

140.037138.982139.182-0.6-0.60.1

Energy commodities

257.049229.604193.829-32.2-24.6-15.6

Services less energy services

298.710299.047299.8232.90.40.3

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. West includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, February 26, 2015