For Current And Historical Until 8:30 A.M. (Est) — 1995-04-12

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.3 percent before seasonal adjustment in March to a level of 151.4 (1982-84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in March, the CPI-U increased 2.9 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.3 percent in March, prior to seasonal adjustment. The March 1995 CPI-W level of 148.7 was 3.0 percent higher than the index in March 1994. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.2 percent in March, following increases of 0.3 percent in both January and February. In March, the index for food was unchanged, following an increase of 0.3 percent in February. The moderation reflected a sharp drop in fresh fruit and vegetable prices. Energy costs fell for the second consecutive month, down 0.5 percent in March after declining 0.1 percent in February.