(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2000-03-16

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods rose 1.0 percent in February, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This followed no change in January and a 0.1-percent increase in December. Prices for finished goods other than foods and energy advanced 0.3 percent, following a 0.2-percent decrease in January. The index for intermediate goods increased 0.8 percent, after rising 0.4 percent in the prior month. The crude goods index gained 4.2 percent, following a 2.7-percent rise a month earlier. (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 mediate Crude and months Month Total Foods Energy energy ago goods goods (unadj.) 1999 Feb. -0.4 -1.2 -1.0 0.1 0.5 -0.2 -2.4 Mar. .4 .4 1.9 -.1 .8 .2 .8 Apr.