April 2009 Consumer Price Index — 2009-05-15

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2 percent in April before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This index has fallen 0.7 percent over the last 12 months, due primarily to a 25.2 percent drop in energy prices. The year-over-year declines in March and April are the first since 1955. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U was unchanged in April after declining 0.1 percent in March. The energy index declined for the second straight month, falling 2.4 percent after declining 3.0 percent in March. The indexes for motor fuel, fuel oil, natural gas, and electricity all declined in April. The food index declined as well, falling 0.2 percent in April after a 0.1 percent decrease in March.