(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1996-04-11

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 followed a 0.2 percent decline in February and a rise of 0.3 percent in January. Prices received by domestic producers of intermediate goods moved up 0.2 percent in March, after falling 0.4 percent in the previous month. The Crude Goods Price Index increased 1.6 percent after declining 0.7 percent in February. (See table A.) Among finished goods in March, prices for both energy goods and foods turned up after falling in February. The index for finished goods other than foods and energy inched up 0.1 percent for the second consecutive month. Table A.