For Current And Historical Material In This — 2002-09-18

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent in August, before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The August level of 180.7 (1982-84=100) was 1.8 percent higher than its level in August 2001. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) also rose 0.3 percent in August, prior to seasonal adjustment. The August level of 176.6 was 1.6 percent higher than the index in August 2001. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.3 percent in August, following increases of 0.1 percent in each of the preceding two months. Larger increases in the indexes for energy and all items less food and energy more than offset a downturn in the food index. The index for food, which rose 0.2 percent in July, declined 0.1 percent in August.