(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1996-05-10

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods increased 0.4 percent in April, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U. S. Department of Labor reported today. This followed a 0.5-percent rise in March and a 0.2-percent decline in February. Prices received by domestic producers of intermediate goods moved up 0.3 percent in April, after increasing 0.2 percent in March. The Crude Goods Price Index advanced 5.3 percent after moving up 1.6 percent in March. (See table A.) The rise in the April Finished Goods index was led by a rise in prices for energy goods. The index for finished goods other than foods and energy moved up 0.1 percent, the same as in both February and March. However, prices for consumer foods declined in April after rising in March. Before seasonal adjustment, the Producer Price Index for Finished Goods increased 0.5 percent in April to 130.8 (1982 =100).