For Current And Historical This Release Is Embargoed — 1997-08-14

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.1 percent before seasonal adjustment in July to a level of 160.5 (1982- 84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in July, the CPI-U increased 2.2 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) also rose 0.1 percent in July, prior to seasonal adjustment. The July 1997 CPI-W level of 157.5 was 2.1 percent higher than the index in July 1996. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.2 percent in July, following increases of 0.1 percent in each of the preceding four months. The food index increased 0.3 percent in July. Grocery store food prices, which increased 0.2 percent in June, advanced 0.3 percent in July, reflecting larger increases in the indexes for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs and for fruits and vegetables.