(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2006-05-16

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 0.9 percent in April, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This gain followed a 0.5-percent rise in March and a 1.4-percent decline in February. The index for finished goods other than foods and energy rose 0.1 percent, the same rate of increase as in the previous month. At the earlier stages of processing, prices for intermediate goods moved up 0.9 percent in April, after edging down 0.1 percent in the prior month, while the crude goods index increased 1.2 percent, following a 2.7-percent decrease in March. (See table A.) 2005 Apr. 0.5 -0.1 2.1 0.3 4.8 0.7 2.7 May -.2 -.2 -1.6 .2 3.6 -.3 -3.1 June .1 -.7 1.5 -.1 3.7 .2 -1.7 July .8 -.7 3.9 .3 4.7 1.0 5.1 Aug. .5 -.2 3.0 0 5.3 .5 3.5 Sept. 1.4 1.2 5.4 .2 6.9 2.3 10.5 Oct.