April 2011 Producer Price Index — 2011-05-12

The Producer Price Index for finished goods rose 0.8 percent in April, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This advance followed increases of 0.7 percent in March and 1.6 percent in February. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods climbed 1.3 percent in April, and the crude goods index rose 4.0 percent. On an unadjusted basis, prices for finished goods moved up 6.8 percent for the 12 months ended April 2011, the largest year-over-year gain since an 8.8-percent increase in September 2008. (See table A.) About three quarters of the April advance in the finished goods index can be traced to a 2.5- percent jump in prices for finished energy goods. Also contributing to the rise in the finished goods index, prices for both finished goods other than foods and energy and for finished consumer foods moved up 0.3 percent in April.