For Current And Historical This Release Is Embargoed — 1997-06-17

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) declined 0.1 percent before seasonal adjustment in May to a level of 160.1 (1982- 84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in May, the CPI-U increased 2.2 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was unchanged in May, prior to seasonal adjustment. The May 1997 CPI-W level of 157.2 was 2.1 percent higher than the index in May 1996. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.1 percent in May, the same as in each of the preceding two months. The food index, which declined 0.2 percent in April, advanced 0.4 percent in May. Grocery store food prices rose 0.6 percent, reflecting a sharp turnaround in the index for fruits and vegetables. The energy index declined for the third consecutive month, down 2.4 percent in May.