March 2008 Consumer Price Index — 2008-04-16

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.9 percent in March, before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The March level of 213.528 (1982-84=100) was 4.0 percent higher than in March 2007. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.9 percent in March, prior to seasonal adjustment. The March level of 209.147 (1982-84=100) was 4.3 percent higher than in March 2007. The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 0.8 percent in March on a not seasonally adjusted basis. The March level of 123.204 (December 1999=100) was 3.6 percent higher than in March 2007. Please note that the indexes for the post-2006 period are subject to revision. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U advanced 0.3 percent in March, following virtually no change in February. The energy index increased 1.9 percent in March after declining 0.5 percent in February.