(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1997-06-13

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods fell 0.3 percent in May, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U. S. Department of Labor reported today. This was the fifth consecutive monthly decline. The index for finished goods decreased 0.6 percent in April and 0.1 percent in March. Prices received by domestic producers of intermediate goods moved down 0.2 percent in May after declining 0.3 percent in the previous month. The Crude Goods Price Index increased 1.3 percent in May following a 0.9-percent decrease in April. (See table A.) Prices for finished goods other than foods and energy fell 0.3 percent after dropping 0.1 percent in April. The index for finished energy goods fell less than in April. Prices for finished consumer foods turned up after declining in the previous month. Table A.