(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1996-10-11

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 0.2 percent in September, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This followed an increase of 0.3 percent in August and no change in July. Prices received by domestic producers of intermediate goods rose 0.3 percent in September after increasing 0.2 percent in the prior month. The Crude Goods Price Index fell 1.5 percent following a 0.2-percent increase in August. (See table A.) Among finished goods, increases were registered in September for finished goods less food and energy, finished consumer foods, and finished energy goods. The index for finished goods less foods and energy turned up 0.3 percent after declining 0.1 percent a month earlier. This rise was led by increases in the indexes for passenger cars and light trucks (on a seasonally adjusted basis). Table A.