(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1998-01-08

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods decreased 0.2 percent in December, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U. S. Department of Labor reported today. This followed a decrease of 0.2 percent in November. The index for finished goods other than foods and energy declined 0.1 percent for the second consecutive month. Prices received by domestic producers of intermediate goods declined 0.2 percent after rising 0.2 percent in November. The crude materials index fell 5.6 percent, following a 1.6-percent gain in the prior month. (See table A.) Among finished goods in December, prices fell for all major groupings -- capital equipment, finished consumer goods other than foods and energy, finished energy goods, and finished consumer foods. Each of these indexes also declined in November. Table A.