For Current And Historical Material In This — 2003-09-16

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4 percent in August, before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The August level of 184.6 (1982-84=100) was 2.2 percent higher than in August 2002. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) also rose 0.4 percent in August, prior to seasonal adjustment. The August level of 180.3 was 2.1 percent higher than in August 2002. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.3 percent in August, following a 0.2 percent increase in July. In August, energy costs registered their largest advance since March, increasing 2.7 percent. Within energy, the index for petroleum-based energy rose 5.6 percent, while the index for energy services decreased 0.1 percent. The index for food rose 0.3 percent with the index for food at home up 0.4 percent.