(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2003-04-11

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 1.5 percent in March, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This increase followed a 1.0-percent gain in February and a 1.6-percent rise in January. At the earlier stages of processing, prices for intermediate goods moved up 2.0 percent, after increasing 2.1 percent in the prior month. The crude goods index jumped 13.3 percent, following a 4.8-percent gain in February. (See table A.) 2003 Jan. 1.6 1.6 4.8 .9 2.8 1.3 6.9 Feb. 1.0 .6 7.4 -.5 3.5 2.1 4.8 Mar. 1.5 .1 5.7 .7 4.2 2.0 13.3 r=revised. Some of the figures shown above and elsewhere in this release may differ from those previously reported because data for November 2002 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents.