(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2004-03-18

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 0.6 percent in January, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This increase followed a 0.2-percent gain in December and a 0.2-percent decline in November. Rising prices for gasoline led the increase in the finished goods index in January. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods moved up 0.8 percent in January, after rising 0.4 percent in the prior month. The crude goods index increased 2.8 percent, compared with a 2.2-percent rise in December. (See table A.) 2004 Jan. .6 -1.4 4.7 .3 3.3 .8 2.8 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 2003. In addition, indexes for September 2003 have been recalculated to incorporate late reports and corrections by respondents.