For Current And Historical This Release Is Embargoed — 1997-04-15

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent before seasonal adjustment in March to a level of 160.0 (1982- 84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in March, the CPI-U increased 2.8 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) rose 0.1 percent in March, prior to seasonal adjustment. The March 1997 CPI-W level of 157.0 was 2.7 percent higher than the index in March 1996. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.1 percent in March, following an increase of 0.3 percent in February. The food index, which advanced 0.3 percent in February, was unchanged in March. Grocery store food prices decreased 0.2 percent, reflecting declines in the indexes for meats, poultry, fish and eggs, and for dairy products. The energy index registered its first decrease since August, declining 1.7 percent.