For Current And Historical Material In This — 2003-11-18

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased 0.1 percent in October, before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The October level of 185.0 (1982-84=100) was 2.0 percent higher than in October 2002. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) decreased 0.2 percent in October, prior to seasonal adjustment. The October level of 180.7 was 1.9 percent higher than in October 2002. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U was unchanged in October, following increases of 0.3 percent in each of the preceding two months. Energy costs, which advanced sharply in August and September, turned down in October, declining 3.9 percent. Within energy, the index for petroleum- based energy declined 6.6 percent and the index for energy services fell 1.1 percent. The index for food rose 0.6 percent with the index for food at home up 0.7 percent.