For Current And Historical This Release Is Embargoed — 1997-03-19

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent before seasonal adjustment in February to a level of 159.6 (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 increased 3.0 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) also rose 0.3 percent in February, prior to seasonal adjustment. The February 1997 CPI-W level of 156.8 was 3.0 percent higher than the index in February 1996. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.3 percent in February, following an increase of 0.1 percent in January. The food index, which declined 0.3 percent in January, advanced 0.3 percent in February. The index for grocery store food prices increased 0.5 percent, reflecting an 8.9 percent rise in the index for fresh vegetables.