(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1998-06-12

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods rose 0.2 percent in May, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This increase followed a 0.2-percent rise in April and a decline of 0.3 percent in March. The index for finished goods other than foods and energy increased 0.2 percent for the second consecutive month. Prices received by producers of intermediate goods inched down 0.1 percent in May, after showing no change in April. The crude goods index fell 0.3 percent, after a 1.0-percent advance in the prior month. (See table A.) Among finished goods in May, price increases for finished consumer goods other than foods and energy and for finished energy goods more than offset price decreases for finished consumer foods and capital equipment. The index for finished energy goods turned up after falling for seven consecutive months. Table A.