For Current And Historical This Release Is Embargoed — 1996-03-15

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent before seasonal adjustment in February to a level of 154.9 (1982-84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in February, the CPI-U increased 2.7 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) also rose 0.3 percent in February, prior to seasonal adjustment. The February 1996 CPI-W level of 152.2 was 2.6 percent higher than the index in February 1995. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.2 percent in February, following an increase of 0.4 percent in January. The energy index continued to advance--up 0.4 percent in February--but by substantially less than in December and January. The index for petroleum-based energy, which rose 4.2 percent in January, fell 0.2 percent in February. The index for energy services increased 0.8 percent, following a 0.2 percent decline in January.