The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in June following a 0.1 percent increase in May. Most components of all items less food and energy posted increases; the indexes for shelter and medical care rose slightly, while the indexes for new vehicles, used cars and trucks, recreation, and apparel all increased at least 0.5 percent. The index for airline fares did decline in June, falling 0.6 percent.
The food and beverages index turned up in June, rising 0.1 percent after declining 0.2 percent in May. The food away from home index rose 0.1 percent and the index for alcoholic beverages increased 0.2 percent. The food at home index, which had declined six months in a row, was unchanged in June. Among major grocery store food groups, the fruits and vegetables index had the largest increase, rising 1.1 percent after declining 1.0 percent in May. This was mostly offset by another decline in the index for dairy and related products, which fell 0.9 percent, its seventh consecutive decrease. The other groups within food at home were relatively stable this month; the indexes for cereals and bakery products and other food at home were unchanged, while the index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs declined 0.2 percent and the nonalcoholic beverages index rose 0.1 percent. Over the last year, the food at home index has risen 0.8 percent.
After declining in each of the three previous months, the housing index was unchanged in June. The index for shelter rose 0.1 percent for the second straight month, as did the indexes of two of its major components, rent and owners' equivalent rent. Also within shelter, the index for lodging away from home rose 0.3 percent in June but has fallen 6.9 percent over the last year. The household energy index continued its decline, falling 1.0 percent, its eleventh consecutive monthly decrease. The June decrease was driven by the electricity index, which fell 1.9 percent in June after a 0.4 percent decrease in May. The index for natural gas rose in June, increasing 1.3 percent after falling in each of the ten previous months. The index for household furnishings and operations was unchanged in June for the third month in a row. Over the past year, the housing index has risen 0.1 percent, with the shelter index rising 1.3 percent and the index for household energy declining 10.8 percent.
The index for transportation rose 4.2 percent in June after a 0.8 percent increase in May. The motor fuel index advanced 17.2 percent in June, accounting for about 95 percent of the increase in the transportation group. The indexes for new vehicles rose 0.7 percent in June after a 0.5 percent increase in May, and the index for used cars and trucks increased 0.9 percent in June following a 1.0 percent increase in May. However, the index for public transportation continued to decline, falling 0.5 percent as the index for airline fares fell 0.6 percent. Over the last year, the transportation index has declined 13.2 percent with the motor fuel index down 35.2 percent. The public transportation index has decreased 12.1 percent over this period and the index for used cars and trucks has declined 8.6 percent. In contrast to these declines, the new vehicles index has risen 0.9 percent over the last year.
Among other CPI groups, the indexes for medical care and for education and communication both rose 0.2 percent in June after increasing 0.3 percent in May. The index for apparel turned up in June, rising 0.7 percent after declining 0.2 percent in each of the previous three months. The index for recreation rose 0.5 percent in June, the largest one month increase in the index since April 2001. Increases in the indexes for admissions and for cable and satellite television and radio contributed to the rise. The index for other goods and services rose 0.3 percent in June, with the tobacco and smoking products index increasing 0.8 percent and the personal care index rising 0.1 percent.
Year-to-date change
The CPI-U all items index advanced at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 3.3 percent in the second quarter of 2009 after increasing at a 2.2 percent rate in the first quarter. This brings the year-to-date SAAR to 2.7 percent and compares with a 0.1 percent increase in all of 2008. The index for energy, which fell 21.3 percent during 2008, rose at a 14.8 percent SAAR in the first six months of 2009. Energy commodities increased at a 52.1 percent rate in the first half of the year, while energy services declined at a 13.6 percent rate. The index for food declined at a 1.1 percent SAAR in the first six months of 2009 after rising 5.9 percent in all of 2008. The food at home index declined at a 3.8 percent rate during the first half of 2009 after rising 6.6 percent in 2008.
The CPI-U excluding food and energy advanced at a 2.4 percent SAAR in the second quarter of 2009 after rising at a 2.2 percent rate in the first quarter. The increase at a 2.3 percent annual rate over the first six months of 2009 compares to a 1.8 percent increase in 2008. Acceleration in the indexes for new vehicles, tobacco, apparel, and medical care all contributed to the larger rate of increase, while slower rates of increase in the indexes for shelter and recreation and a downturn in the public transportation index mitigated the rise. The annual rates for selected groups for the last seven-and-one-half years are shown below.
CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W)
The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) rose 1.1 percent in June, prior to seasonal adjustment. The index value of 210.972 was 2.0 percent lower than in June 2008. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-W rose 0.9 percent in June.
Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U)
The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 0.9 percent in June on a not seasonally adjusted basis. The index has decreased 1.3 percent over the past year. Please note that the indexes for the post-2007 period are subject to revision.
