For Current And Historical This Release Is Embargoed — 1997-12-16

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) declined 0.1 percent before seasonal adjustment in November to a level of 161.5 (1982-84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in November, the CPI-U has increased 1.8 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) remained unchanged in November, prior to seasonal adjustment. The November 1997 CPI-W level of 158.5 was 1.7 percent higher than the index in November 1996. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.1 percent in November, following increases of 0.2 percent in each of the preceding four months. The food index increased 0.2 percent in November. Grocery store food prices increased 0.1 percent in November, as another sharp increase in prices for dairy products was largely offset by a decline in the index for nonalcoholic beverages.