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News Release Information

17-80-SAN
Wednesday, January 18, 2017

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

Consumer Price Index, West Region — December 2016

Area prices were unchanged over the past month, up 2.5 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were unchanged in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) During December lower prices for apparel and gasoline helped counter higher shelter prices. (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 rose 2.5 percent.  (See chart 1 and table A.) Energy prices rose 2.5 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of electricity. The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.9 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices inched up 0.2 percent for the month of December. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home and prices for food away from home both edged up 0.2 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices were unchanged. Prices for food at home declined 1.9 percent since a year ago, but prices for food away from home advanced 2.7 percent.

Energy

The energy index decreased 1.7 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-3.4 percent). Prices for electricity were virtually unchanged (-0.1 percent), and prices for natural gas service declined 0.3 percent for the same period.

Energy prices rose 2.5 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for electricity (5.1 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service advanced 4.0 percent, and prices for gasoline advanced 0.4 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged up 0.1 percent in December. Higher prices for shelter (0.6 percent) and medical care (0.3 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for apparel (-4.1 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-0.1 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.9 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (5.4 percent) and medical care (3.4 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price declines in education and communication (-1.1 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-0.6 percent).

Table A. West Region CPI-U monthly and annual percent changes (not seasonally adjusted)
Month201120122013201420152016
MonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnual

January

0.51.40.42.60.31.70.31.7-0.30.70.52.6

February

0.61.90.42.50.82.00.41.30.60.90.12.1

March

0.92.60.92.40.41.50.61.50.81.10.21.5

April

0.63.00.22.10.01.30.31.80.31.00.5 1.8

May

0.33.20.22.00.21.30.62.30.81.20.51.5

June

-0.23.1-0.22.00.11.50.12.30.01.10.21.6

July

-0.12.9-0.31.80.01.90.12.30.31.30.11.4

August

0.23.00.52.10.11.5-0.12.1-0.11.30.01.5

September

0.43.50.52.20.21.30.12.0-0.21.00.32.0

October

0.03.40.42.5-0.10.9-0.12.00.01.10.32.3

November

-0.23.2-0.71.9-0.41.3-0.61.7-0.21.5-0.22.3

December

-0.32.7-0.51.70.01.8-0.51.3-0.11.80.02.5

The January 2017 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on Wednesday February 15, 2017.


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 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 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: (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-
Oct.
2016
Nov.
2016
Dec.
2016
Dec.
2015
Oct.
2016
Nov.
2016

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

249.897249.448249.5162.5-0.20.0

All items (December 1977=100)

403.945403.218403.328   

Food and beverages

251.902251.105251.5570.2-0.10.2

Food

251.766250.877251.3720.0-0.20.2

Food at home

245.051243.396243.848-1.9-0.50.2

Food away from home

260.057260.265260.8182.70.30.2

Alcoholic beverages

250.423250.874250.7402.30.1-0.1

Housing

269.287269.068270.3154.70.40.5

Shelter

306.763307.505309.2965.40.80.6

Rent of primary residence(1)

322.717324.716326.4535.71.20.5

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

321.546323.569325.1865.51.10.5

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

321.556323.579325.2025.51.10.5

Fuels and utilities

292.784285.299285.2854.5-2.60.0

Household energy

255.621245.626245.6074.8-3.90.0

Energy services(1)

258.405247.811247.5454.8-4.2-0.1

Electricity(1)

283.386274.032273.8645.1-3.4-0.1

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

215.177200.941200.4254.0-6.9-0.3

Household furnishings and operations

128.653128.384128.283-0.6-0.3-0.1

Apparel

122.540120.424115.540-0.2-5.7-4.1

Transportation

198.088197.566196.1620.6-1.0-0.7

Private transportation

192.528191.730190.5261.0-1.0-0.6

New and used motor vehicles(3)

99.59199.02799.138-0.6-0.50.1

New vehicles

147.660148.005148.1701.40.30.1

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

102.540102.789102.8981.40.30.1

New cars(4)

144.931145.031145.5480.50.40.4

Used cars and trucks

134.005131.976131.799-3.9-1.6-0.1

Motor fuel

210.132207.062200.1170.5-4.8-3.4

Gasoline (all types)

209.335206.182199.1330.4-4.9-3.4

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

206.703203.490196.3480.3-5.0-3.5

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

199.935197.222191.7940.5-4.1-2.8

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

206.935204.463198.1471.0-4.2-3.1

Medical Care

473.706473.402474.8893.40.20.3

Medical care commodities

357.783356.252359.8504.20.61.0

Medical care services

510.693510.854511.5263.20.20.1

Professional services

351.944351.991353.0543.20.30.3

Recreation(3)

112.100111.750111.5830.8-0.5-0.1

Education and communication(3)

137.050137.293137.192-1.10.1-0.1

Other goods and services

409.272410.257411.1301.20.50.2
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

249.897249.448249.5162.5-0.20.0

Commodities

178.689177.732176.753-0.2-1.1-0.6

Commodities less food & beverages

142.283141.306139.812-0.5-1.7-1.1

Nondurables less food & beverages

180.595179.010175.7070.3-2.7-1.8

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

221.874220.591218.2140.5-1.6-1.1

Durables

107.174106.718106.731-1.5-0.40.0

Services

315.754315.799316.8784.00.40.3

Rent of shelter(2)

326.484327.282329.2035.50.80.6

Transportation services

288.372290.285290.3562.00.70.0

Other services

342.064341.973341.7311.0-0.1-0.1
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

239.671239.216239.2212.4-0.20.0

All items less food

249.778249.395249.3982.9-0.20.0

All items less shelter

227.905226.941226.2730.9-0.7-0.3

Commodities less food

146.308145.361143.891-0.4-1.7-1.0

Nondurables

216.212214.975213.3870.2-1.3-0.7

Nondurables less food

185.711184.231181.0850.5-2.5-1.7

Nondurables less food and apparel

224.277223.150220.9770.7-1.5-1.0

Services less rent of shelter(2)

337.637336.692336.7802.2-0.30.0

Services less medical care services

302.194302.232303.3334.10.40.4

Energy

232.851226.655222.7222.5-4.3-1.7

All items less energy

253.220253.197253.5652.50.10.1

All items less food and energy

254.241254.364254.7122.90.20.1

Commodities less food and energy commodities

139.753139.023138.161-0.5-1.1-0.6

Energy commodities

214.140211.279204.5340.5-4.5-3.2

Services less energy services

320.223320.930322.0964.00.60.4

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: Wednesday, January 18, 2017