For Current And Historical Material In This — 1999-01-14

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) declined 0.1 percent in December, before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The December 1998 CPI-U level of 163.9 (1982-84=100) was 1.6 percent higher than the index in December 1997. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was unchanged in December, prior to seasonal adjustment, remaining at a level of 160.7. For the 12-month period ended in December, the CPI-W has increased 1.6 percent. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.1 percent in December, following increases of 0.2 percent in each of the preceding two months. The food index was unchanged in December after advancing 0.1 percent in November.