(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2005-03-22

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods rose 0.4 percent in February, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This increase followed a 0.3-percent gain in January and a 0.3-percent decline in December. At the earlier stages of processing, the intermediate goods index advanced 0.7 percent, after moving up 0.4 percent in the previous month, and prices for crude goods fell 1.6 percent, following a 2.0-percent decrease in January. (See table A.) 2005 Jan. .3 -.2 -1.0 .8 4.2 .4 -2.0 Feb. .4 .8 1.4 .1 4.7 .7 -1.6 r=revised. Some of the figures shown above and elsewhere in this release may differ from those previously reported because data for October 2004 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents.