(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2004-04-22

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 0.5 percent in March, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This increase followed a 0.1-percent gain in February and a 0.6-percent rise in January. At the earlier stages of processing, prices for both intermediate goods and crude goods moved up 0.7 percent in March, after increasing 0.9 and 2.5 percent, respectively, in the prior month. (See table A.) 2004 Jan. .6 -1.4 4.7 .3 3.3 .8 2.8 Feb. .1 .2 .2 .1 2.1 .9 2.5 Mar. .5 1.5 .6 .2 1.4 .7 .7 r=revised. Some of the figures shown above and elsewhere in this release may differ from those previously reported because data for November 2003 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents.