(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1998-08-14

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods increased 0.2 percent in July, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This rise followed a decrease of 0.1 percent in June and an increase of 0.2 percent in May. Prices received by producers of intermediate goods were unchanged in July, after moving down 0.3 percent in June. The crude goods index fell 1.8 percent, following a 1.4-percent decline in the prior month. (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.) 1997 July -0.2 -0.3 -0.5 -0.1 -0.2 -0.2 -0.5 Aug. 0.2 -0.1 0.9 0.1 -0.2 0.1 0.4 Sept. 0.4 0 1.1 0.4 0 0.2 1.3 Oct. 0 0.7 -0.5 -0.1 -0.3 -0.1 4.6 Nov.