(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2001-02-16

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 1.1 percent in January, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. January's rise followed a 0.2-percent increase in December 2000 and a 0.1-percent gain in November 2000. At the earlier stages of process, prices received by producers of intermediate goods increased 0.7 percent, following a 0.4-percent rise in the prior month, and the crude goods index advanced 13.9 percent, after posting an 8.5-percent increase a month earlier. (See table A.) NOTE: Some of the percent changes shown here and elsewhere in this release may differ from those previously reported because seasonal adjustment factors have been recalculated to reflect developments during 2000. In addition, indexes for September 2000 have been recalculated to incorporate late reports and corrections by respondents. All indexes are subject to revision 4 months after original publication.