(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2004-09-10

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods declined 0.1 percent in August, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This decrease followed a 0.1-percent advance in July and a 0.3-percent decline in June. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods jumped 1.0 percent in August, after a 0.8-percent gain in the preceding month, while the crude goods index fell 0.7 percent, compared with a 0.2- percent decrease in July. (See table A.) 2004 Jan. .6 -1.3 4.7 .3 3.3 .9 4.1 Feb. .1 .4 .3 -.1 2.1 1.0 1.5 Mar. .6 1.5 .6 .3 1.5 .8 1.6 Apr. r .7 r 1.3 r 1.8 r .1 3.7 r 1.4 r 1.8 May r .7 r 1.4 r 1.4 r .4 5.0 r .9 r 1.8 June -.3 -.6 -1.6 .2 4.0 .5 1.6 July .1 -1.6 2.3 .1 4.0 .8 -.2 Aug.