For Current And Historical Material In This — 2004-04-14

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.6 percent in March, before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The March level of 187.4 (1982-84=100) was 1.7 percent higher than in March 2003. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.5 percent in March, prior to seasonal adjustment. The March level of 182.9 was 1.4 percent higher than in March 2003. The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 0.6 percent in March, prior to seasonal adjustment. The March level of 109.4 (December 1999=100) was 1.4 percent higher than in March 2003. Please note that the indexes for the post-2002 period are subject to revision. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.5 percent in March, following an increase of 0.3 percent in February. Energy costs advanced sharply for the third consecutive month--up 1.9 percent in March.