For Current And Historical Until 8:30 A.M. (Est) — 1995-03-16

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.4 percent before seasonal adjustment in February to a level of 150.9 (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 2.9 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.3 percent in February, prior to seasonal adjustment. The February 1995 CPI-W level of 148.3 was 3.0 percent higher than the index in February 1994. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.3 percent in February, the same as in January. The index for food increased 0.3 percent, following a decrease of 0.3 percent in January. Energy costs, which increased 0.3 percent in January, declined 0.1 percent in February, resulting from a drop in the gasoline index. Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U increased 0.3 percent, following a 0.4 percent rise in January.