For Current And Historical Material In This — 1998-06-16

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.2 percent in May, before seasonal adjustment, to a level of 162.8 (1982- 84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in May, the CPI-U has increased 1.7 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) rose 0.3 percent in May, prior to seasonal adjustment. The May 1998 CPI-W level of 159.5 was 1.5 percent higher than the index in May 1997. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.3 percent in May after increasing 0.2 percent in April. The food index increased 0.6 percent. Grocery store food prices advanced 0.8 percent in May, following declines of 0.1 percent in each of the preceding three months, largely as a result of sharp increases in prices for fruits and vegetables.