(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2002-04-12

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 1.0 percent in March, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This increase followed a 0.2-percent increase in February and a 0.1-percent rise in January. The intermediate goods index advanced 1.0 percent in March, after dropping 0.1 percent in the prior month. Prices received by producers of crude goods rose 4.0 percent, following a 0.8-percent decline in February. (See table A.) 2002 Jan. .1 .8 .1 -.1 -2.6 -.1 3.7 Feb. .2 1.0 .4 0 -2.6 -.1 -.8 Mar. 1.0 .6 5.5 .1 -1.4 1.0 4.0 r=revised. Some of the figures shown above and elsewhere in this release may differ from those previously reported because data for November 2001 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents.