For Current And Historical This Release Is Embargoed — 1997-02-19

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent before seasonal adjustment in January to a level of 159.1 (1982-84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in January, the CPI-U increased 3.0 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) also rose 0.3 percent in January, prior to seasonal adjustment. The January 1997 CPI-W level of 156.3 was 3.0 percent higher than the index in January 1996. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.1 percent in January, following an increase of 0.3 percent in December. The food index, which was unchanged in December, declined 0.3 percent in January. Grocery store food prices fell 0.6 percent, reflecting in part a 2.0 percent drop in the index for fruits and vegetables. The energy index increased for the fifth consecutive month, advancing 0.8 percent in January.