(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2001-03-16

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods edged up 0.1 percent in February, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This rise followed a 1.1-percent increase in January and a 0.2-percent gain in December. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by producers of intermediate goods edged down 0.1 percent, following a 0.7-percent rise in the prior month, while the crude goods index decreased 14.2 percent, after jumping 13.9 percent a month ago. (See table A.) 2001 Jan. 1.1 .8 3.8 .7 4.8 .7 13.9 Feb. .1 .6 1.4 -.3 4.0 -.1 -14.2 r=revised. Some of the figures shown above and elsewhere in this release may differ from those previously reported because data for October 2000 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents.