(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2004-11-16

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today that the seasonally adjusted Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 1.7 percent in October. This gain followed a 0.1- percent rise in September and a 0.1-percent decrease in August. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by the manufacturers of intermediate goods went up 0.9 percent, after increasing 0.1 percent in the prior month. The index for crude materials turned up 4.3 percent in October, compared with a decline of 4.2 percent in September. (See table A.) 2004 Jan. .6 -1.3 4.7 .3 3.3 .9 4.1 Feb. .1 .4 .3 -.1 2.1 1.0 1.5 Mar. .6 1.5 .6 .3 1.5 .8 1.6 Apr.