(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2004-01-14

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods rose 0.3 percent in December, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This increase followed a 0.3-percent decline in November and a 0.8-percent advance in October. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by producers of intermediate goods turned up 0.5 percent, after falling 0.2 percent in the previous month. The crude goods index rose 2.0 percent in December, following a 0.2-percent increase in November. (See table A.) 2003 Jan. 1.4 1.9 4.6 .3 2.5 1.2 7.6 Feb. 1.1 .4 7.4 -.1 3.3 2.0 5.2 Mar. 1.4 .2 5.4 .7 4.0 2.1 13.0 Apr. -1.7 .8 -8.1 -.7 2.4 -2.3 -15.8 May -.4 .1 -2.9 .1 2.5 -.7 1.4 June .5 .3 2.9 -.1 2.9 .5 4.4 July .1 -.3 .7 .1 3.0 .1 -3.0 Aug. r .6 r .9 r 1.6 .2 r 3.5 r .6 -1.1 Sept.