(202) 606-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 1998-07-10

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods decreased 0.1 percent in June, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This decrease follows increases of 0.2 percent in both May and April. The index for finished goods other than foods and energy rose 0.2 percent for the third consecutive month. Prices received by producers of intermediate goods fell 0.3 percent in June, after inching down 0.1 percent in May. The crude goods index fell 1.4 percent, following a 0.3-percent decline in the prior month. (See table A.) Table A. Monthly and annual percent changes in selected stage-of- processing price indexes, seasonally adjusted Finish ed goods Change in Except finished Inter- goods foods from 12 mediateCrude and months Month Total Foods Energy energy ago goods goods (unadj.) 1997 June -0.2 -0.8 -0.2 0.0 -0.1 -0.1 -2.7 July -0.2 -0.3 -0.5 -0.1 -0.2 -0.2 -0.5 Aug. 0.2 -0.1 0.9 0.1 -0.2 0.1 0.4 Sept.