For Current And Historical Material In This — 2001-04-17

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2 percent in March, before seasonal adjustment, to a level of 176.2 (1982-84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in March, the CPI-U increased 2.9 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) rose 0.1 percent in March, prior to seasonal adjustment. The March level of 172.6 was 2.8 percent higher than the index in March 2000. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.1 percent in March, following increases of 0.6 and 0.3 percent in the first two months of the year. The energy index declined for the second consecutive month, down 2.1 percent in March. The index for energy services fell 0.6 percent, as a 2.1 percent decline in the index for natural gas more than offset a 0.5 percent rise in the index for electricity.