For Current And Historical Material In This — 2004-01-15

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased 0.1 percent in December, before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The December level of 184.3 (1982-84=100) was 1.9 percent higher than in December 2002. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) decreased 0.2 percent in December, prior to seasonal adjustment. The December level of 179.9 was 1.6 percent higher than in December 2002. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U increased 0.2 percent in December, following a decline of 0.2 percent in November. The index for food rose 0.6 percent in December with prices for food at home up 0.8 percent, reflecting, in part, another large increase in beef prices. Energy costs rose 0.2 percent in December, following a 3.0 percent drop in November.