For Current And Historical Material In This — 1999-03-18

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.1 percent in February, before seasonal adjustment, to a level of 164.5 (1982- 84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in February, the CPI-U has increased 1.6 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) also rose 0.1 percent in February, prior to seasonal adjustment. The February level of 161.1 was 1.6 percent higher than the index in February 1998. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.1 percent in February, the same as in each of the preceding two months. The food index, which advanced 0.5 percent in January, increased 0.1 percent in February. The index for food at home also rose 0.1 percent in February, following a 0.5 percent rise in January. The deceleration was largely due to a sharp downturn in prices for fruits and vegetables.