(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1997-05-14

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods declined 0.6 percent in April, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U. S. Department of Labor reported today. This followed decreases of 0.1 percent in March and 0.4 percent in February. Prices received by domestic producers of intermediate goods fell 0.3 percent in April after declining 0.6 percent in the previous month. The Crude Goods Price Index dropped 0.9 percent in April following a 6.9-percent decrease in March. (See table A.) Among finished goods in April, prices for finished goods other than foods and energy declined 0.1 percent following a 0.4-percent advance in the previous month. The index for finished consumer foods also fell after increasing in March. Prices for energy goods decreased in April, but by less than a month ago. Table A.