(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2006-10-17

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods fell 1.3 percent in September, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This decline followed increases of 0.1 percent in both August and July. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods moved down 1.4 percent in September after increasing 0.4 percent in the preceding month, and the crude goods index dropped 3.4 percent following a 2.2-percent gain in August. (See table A.) 2006 Jan. .3 -.2 .1 .4 5.6 1.0 -.8 Feb. -1.2 -2.2 -4.5 .3 3.9 -.5 -8.4 Mar. .4 .4 1.5 .2 3.6 .2 -2.6 Apr. .9 .3 4.0 .1 4.1 1.0 2.6 May .1 -.8 r .8 .3 4.5 r 1.1 r 1.7 June .5 r 1.5 r .3 r .3 4.9 r .4 r -2.6 July .1 -.3 1.3 -.3 4.2 .5 3.1 Aug. .1 1.4 .3 -.4 3.7 .4 2.2 Sept.