(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2005-06-14

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods fell 0.6 percent in May, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This decline followed a 0.6-percent increase in April and a 0.7-percent advance in March. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods decreased 0.7 percent in May, after rising 0.8 percent in the preceding month, while the crude goods index moved down 2.0 percent, following a 2.7- percent jump in April. (See table A.) 2005 Jan. .1 -.5 -1.0 .7 r 4.1 r .3 r -2.0 Feb. .4 .8 1.4 .1 4.7 r .6 r -1.2 Mar. .7 .3 3.3 .1 4.9 1.0 4.3 Apr. .6 .1 2.1 .3 4.8 .8 2.7 May -.6 -.3 -3.5 .1 3.5 -.7 -2.0 r=revised.