For Current And Historical Material In This — 2000-03-17

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.6 percent in February, before seasonal adjustment, to a level of 169.7 (1982-84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in February, the CPI- U increased 3.2 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) rose 0.5 percent in February, prior to seasonal adjustment. The February level of 166.4 was 3.3 percent higher than the index in February 1999. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.5 percent in February, following increases of 0.2 percent in each of the preceding four months. The food index, which declined 0.1 percent in January, increased 0.4 percent in February, reflecting in part a sharp jump in meat prices. The energy index rose 4.6 percent, its largest advance since a 6.0 percent rise in April 1999.