For Current And Historical Material In This — 1998-08-18

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.1 percent in July, before seasonal adjustment, to a level of 163.2 (1982- 84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in July, the CPI-U has increased 1.7 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) also rose 0.1 percent in July, prior to seasonal adjustment. The July 1998 CPI-W level of 159.8 was 1.5 percent higher than the index in July 1997. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.2 percent in July, following a 0.1 percent increase in June. Indexes for food, energy, and all items less food and energy each contributed to the slightly larger advance. The food index, which rose 0.1 percent in June, increased 0.2 percent in July.