For Current And Historical Material In This — 2004-03-17

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.5 percent in February, before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The February level of 186.2 (1982-84=100) was 1.7 percent higher than in February 2003. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.6 percent in February, prior to seasonal adjustment. The February level of 181.9 was 1.5 percent higher than in February 2003. The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 0.6 percent in February, prior to seasonal adjustment. The February level of 108.7 (December 1999=100) was 1.4 percent higher than in February 2003. Please note that the indexes for the post-2002 period are subject to revision. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.3 percent in February, following an increase of 0.5 percent in January. Energy costs, which rose 4.7 percent in January, advanced 1.7 percent in February.