(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2001-10-12

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods increased 0.4 percent in September, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This advance followed a 0.4- percent rise in August and a 0.9-percent decline in July. The index for finished goods other than foods and energy turned up 0.3 percent in September, compared with a 0.1-percent decrease in the preceding month. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by intermediate goods producers increased 0.1 percent, following a 0.4-percent drop in August. The crude goods index fell 4.1 percent in September, after posting a 2.3- percent decrease a month earlier. (See table A.) The reference date for the Producer Price Index is the Tuesday of the week containing the 13th day of the month. September's reference date was Tuesday, September 11; price changes that occurred subsequent to the reference date are not reflected in these data.