(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1999-03-12

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods declined 0.4 percent in February, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This decline followed increases of 0.5 percent in January and 0.4 percent in December. Prices received by producers of intermediate goods decreased 0.5 percent, following a 0.1- percent increase in the prior month. The crude goods index dropped 3.4 percent, after registering a 2.6-percent advance a month earlier. (See table A.) Table A. Monthly and annual percent changes in selected stage-of- processing price indexes, seasonally adjusted Finish ed goods Change in Except finished Inter- goods foods from 12 mediate Crude and months Month Total Foods Energy energy ago goods goods (unadj.) 1998 Feb. -0.1 0.3 -1.4 0.1 -1.5 -0.2 -1.9 Mar. 0 -0.2 -2.2 0.5 -1.5 -0.3 -1.4 Apr.