(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2005-02-18

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 0.3 percent in January, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This increase followed a 0.3-percent decline in December and a 0.7-percent rise in November. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods moved up 0.4 percent in January, after inching down 0.1 percent in December. The crude goods index fell 2.0 percent, following a 3.0-percent drop in December. (See table A.) 2005 Jan. .3 -.2 -1.0 .8 4.2 .4 -2.0 NOTE: Some of the percent changes shown here and elsewhere in this release may differ from those previously reported because seasonal adjustment factors have been recalculated to reflect developments during 2004. In addition, indexes for September 2004 have been recalculated to incorporate late reports and corrections by respondents. All indexes are subject to revision 4 months after original publication.