(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1999-11-10

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods decreased 0.1 percent in October, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This decline followed a 1.1-percent advance in September and a 0.5-percent gain in August. The index for finished goods other than foods and energy rose 0.3 percent in October, after advancing 0.8 percent in the prior month. Prices received by producers of intermediate goods rose 0.3 percent, the same as in September. The crude goods index turned down 1.6 percent, after posting a 5.1-percent increase in the previous 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 finished Except goods foods from 12 Inter- and months mediate Crude Month Total Foods Energy energy ago goods goods (unadj.) 1998 Oct. 0.3 0.4 0.8 0.1 -0.7 -0.2 2.5 Nov. -.2 -.4 -1.3 .1 -.6 -.2 -.1 Dec.