(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1999-06-11

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods increased 0.2 percent in May, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This rise followed a 0.5-percent advance in April and a 0.2-percent increase in March. The index for finished goods other than foods and energy edged up 0.1 percent, the same as a month earlier. Prices received by producers of intermediate goods advanced 0.2 percent, after increasing 0.6 percent in the previous month. The crude goods index rose 5.5 percent, following a 1.3-percent rise in April. (See table A.) Table A. Monthly and annual percent changes in selected stage-of- processing price indexes, seasonally adjusted Finish ed goods Change in Except finished Inter- goods foods from 12 mediateCrude and months Month Total Foods Energy energy ago goods goods (unadj.) 1998 May -0.1 -0.5 0.4 0.1 -0.8 -0.1 -0.6 June -.2 -.1 -.8 -.1 -.7 -.3 -2.7 July .2 .5 -.1 .2 -.2 0 .1 Aug.