(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2005-10-18

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods rose 1.9 percent in September, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This advance followed increases of 0.6 percent in August and 1.0 percent in July. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods climbed 2.5 percent in September, after moving up 0.7 percent in the preceding month, while the crude goods index rose 10.2 percent, following a 2.3- percent gain in August. (See table A.) Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had virtually no impact on data collection efforts or survey response rates, and no changes in estimation procedures were necessary. 2005 Jan. .1 -.5 -1.0 .7 4.1 .3 -2.0 Feb. .4 .6 1.8 -.1 4.7 .6 -1.0 Mar. .8 .6 3.3 .2 5.0 1.0 4.7 Apr.