(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1996-01-09

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 0.5 percent in December, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U. S. Department of Labor reported today. This followed increases of 0.4 percent in both November and October. Prices received by domestic producers of intermediate goods rose 0.4 percent in December after increasing 0.2 percent in the prior month. Prices for crude materials advanced 4.2 percent following a 1.8-percent gain in November. (See table A.) Among finished goods in December, the index for energy goods rose 3.1 percent following a 2.3-percent rise in the prior month. Prices for finished goods other than foods and energy increased 0.1 percent following a similar rise a month ago. The index for finished consumer foods fell 0.1 percent, the same as in November. Table A.