(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2005-01-14

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods fell 0.7 percent in December, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This decline followed a 0.5-percent increase in November and a 1.7-percent advance in October. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by producers of intermediate goods turned down 0.3 percent, after rising 0.8 percent in the previous month, and the crude goods index declined 2.9 percent in December, following an 8.7-percent increase in November. (See table A.) 2004 Jan. .6 -1.3 4.7 .3 3.3 .9 4.1 Feb. .1 .4 .3 -.1 2.1 1.0 1.5 Mar. .6 1.5 .6 .3 1.5 .8 1.6 Apr. .7 1.3 1.8 .1 3.7 1.4 1.8 May .6 1.5 1.3 .2 4.9 1.0 3.2 June -.2 -.4 -1.7 .3 4.0 .5 .7 July 0 -1.8 2.7 -.2 3.8 .5 -.4 Aug. r 0 -.3 r -.2 .3 r 3.3 r 1.1 r -.1 Sept.