For Current And Historical This Release Is Embargoed — 1996-02-28

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.6 percent before seasonal adjustment in January to a level of 154.4 (1982-84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in January, the CPI- U increased 2.7 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) rose 0.5 percent in January, prior to seasonal adjustment. The January 1996 CPI-W level of 151.7 was 2.6 percent higher than the index in January 1995. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.4 percent in January, following an increase of 0.2 percent in December. The energy index registered its second consecutive large increase, advancing 1.9 percent in January after increasing 1.1 percent in December. The index for petroleum-based energy rose 4.2 percent in January, following an increase of 2.0 percent in December. The food index increased 0.1 percent, the same as in December.