Internet Address: http://www.bls.gov/ro2/home.htm Transmission of material in Media Contact: Michael L. Dolfman,(212) 337-2500 this release is embargoed Information: Martin Kohli,(646) 264-3620 until after 8:30 A.M. (ET) Wednesday, June 17, 2009
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, NEW YORK-NORTHERN NEW JERSEY: MAY 2009
Area prices rose 0.2 percent in May; down 0.1 percent over the year-
first drop since 1956
Retail prices in the greater New York area, as measured by the
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), edged up 0.2
percent in May for the third consecutive month. Michael L. Dolfman,
Regional Commissioner of the U. S. Department of Labor's Bureau of
Labor Statistics, attributed the May increase primarily to higher
prices for transportation. The rise was partially offset by lower
prices for housing as well as for food and beverages. For the 12
months ended in May 2009, the CPI-U decreased 0.1 percent, the first
over-the-year drop since 1956. The index for all items less food and
energy rose 2.4 percent.
The transportation index advanced 2.2 percent in May, after
increasing 1.6 percent in April. The acceleration in transportation
price increases largely reflected gasoline prices, which jumped 10.9
percent over the month, following a 5.1-percent rise in April. The
index also reflected price increases for new and used motor vehicles.
Gasoline prices were 39.6 percent lower than they were in May 2008,
and transportation prices declined 11.6 percent over the year. (See
chart A.) The 12-month change in the transportation index was the
largest decrease since the series start in 1947.
New York-Northern New Jersey CPI monthly and annual percent changes
(not seasonally adjusted)
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009
Month | Mo | Ann | Mo | Ann | Mo | Ann | Mo | Ann | Mo | Ann | Mo | Ann
January 0.3 2.7 0.6 4.1 0.8 3.7 0.2 2.7 0.2 3.7 0.2 1.5
February 0.6 2.5 0.4 3.9 0.2 3.6 0.6 3.1 0.5 3.6 0.5 1.6
March 1.1 3.2 1.7 4.4 0.8 2.7 0.7 2.9 0.9 3.8 0.2 0.8
April 0.3 3.7 0.0 4.2 0.9 3.6 0.5 2.5 0.3 3.6 0.2 0.8
May 0.2 3.9 -0.5 3.4 0.6 4.8 0.6 2.5 1.0 4.0 0.2 -0.1
June 0.8 4.6 -0.3 2.3 0.5 5.6 0.5 2.5 1.0 4.5
July -0.2 3.9 0.9 3.4 0.2 5.0 0.2 2.5 0.7 5.1
August 0.1 3.3 0.8 4.1 0.4 4.7 -0.1 1.9 0.1 5.4
September 0.1 3.2 0.8 4.8 -0.5 3.3 0.0 2.4 -0.2 5.2
October 0.7 3.7 0.4 4.5 -0.5 2.4 0.1 3.1 -0.7 4.3
November 0.0 3.9 -0.6 3.9 -0.4 2.6 0.4 3.9 -1.6 2.2
December -0.2 3.8 -0.5 3.6 0.2 3.3 0.0 3.7 -0.6 1.6
The housing index edged down 0.2 percent for the second
consecutive month in May. The shelter component inched down 0.1
percent in May after a slight 0.1-increase in April. Within shelter,
a decline in out-of-town lodging charges outweighed increases in
owners' equivalent rent (0.2 percent) and residential rent (0.1
percent). A 0.8-percent decrease in the fuels and utilities
component reflected a 5.5-percent drop in natural gas prices, which
was partly offset by a 1.2-percent increase in electricity charges.
Since May 2008, prices for fuels and utilities fell 8.5 percent; the
housing index rose 1.3 percent, the smallest over-the-year change
since March 1995.
Food and beverages edged down 0.2 percent. May marked the fourth
consecutive month without an increase in the index, following a
record string of 22 months without a decrease. A 0.4-percent fall in
grocery prices offset increases in food away from home (0.1 percent)
and in alcoholic beverages (0.4 percent). Beef and veal, eggs, and
other fats and oils, including peanut butter, were among the
groceries with lower prices in May. Over the year, food and beverage
prices rose 2.9 percent.
Among other expenditure categories, apparel inched down 0.1
percent in May with lower prices recorded for women's dresses. The
recreation index turned down 0.2 percent, and medical care was
virtually unchanged, following two decreases. The 12-month change in
the medical care index was also zero, the smallest over-the-year
change since 1956. Education and communication inched up 0.1 percent
in May, following a 0.2-percent increase in April, and other goods
and services posted a 0.3-percent increase, the third consecutive
rise in the index.
With the New York-Northern New Jersey CPI-U at 235.975 in May
(1982-84=100), $23.60 was required to purchase what $10 could in the
1982-84 base period. The purchasing power of the dollar was 42.4
cents in 1982-84 dollars and 14.7 cents in 1967 dollars. In May, the
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-
W) was 230.307, up 0.3 percent. The CPI-W fell 0.3 percent over the
year. On a 1967 base, the May CPI-W was 655.742.
Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly,
month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.
The New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa.
consolidated area comprises the five boroughs of New York City,
Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Orange
Counties in New York State; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer,
Monmouth, Middlesex, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union
and Warren Counties in New Jersey; Fairfield County and parts of
Litchfield, New Haven and Middlesex Counties in Connecticut; and Pike
County in Pennsylvania.
NYLS - 7380 Labor - New York
06/15/09
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods
New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Indexes Percent change from-
Item and Group
Mar. Apr. May May Mar. Apr.
2009 2009 2009 2008 2009 2009
Expenditure category
All items................................ 235.067 235.582 235.975 -0.1 0.4 0.2
All items (1967=100)..................... 679.546 681.035 682.171 - - -
Food and beverages...................... 227.880 227.956 227.592 2.9 -.1 -.2
Food................................... 227.244 227.236 226.791 2.9 -.2 -.2
Food at home.......................... 227.340 226.657 225.640 2.4 -.7 -.4
Food away from home................... 233.199 234.007 234.244 3.5 .4 .1
Alcoholic beverages.................... 233.043 234.391 235.253 3.1 .9 .4
..
Housing................................. 257.491 257.062 256.573 1.3 -.4 -.2
Shelter................................ 311.959 312.320 311.898 2.9 .0 -.1
Rent of primary residence 1/.......... 306.714 307.816 308.207 5.3 .5 .1
Owners' equivalent rent of primary
residence 1/2/...................... 319.755 320.205 320.917 3.4 .4 .2
Fuels and utilities.................... 196.734 191.253 189.738 -8.5 -3.6 -.8
Household energy...................... 197.776 191.617 189.769 -9.9 -4.0 -1.0
Gas (piped) and electricity 1/....... 197.572 190.124 188.011 -3.4 -4.8 -1.1
Electricity 1/...................... 178.535 176.180 178.303 4.0 -.1 1.2
Utility (piped) gas service 1/...... 233.726 214.736 202.854 -15.7 -13.2 -5.5
Household furnishings and operations... 125.852 126.146 126.125 -1.8 .2 .0
Apparel................................. 115.284 114.781 114.625 1.5 -.6 -.1
Transportation.......................... 180.067 183.006 187.017 -11.6 3.9 2.2
Private transportation................. 169.518 172.814 177.567 -12.2 4.7 2.8
Motor fuel............................ 152.721 160.420 177.544 -39.7 16.3 10.7
Gasoline (all types)................. 151.877 159.618 177.011 -39.6 16.5 10.9
Gasoline, unleaded regular 3/....... 151.915 160.327 178.411 -40.3 17.4 11.3
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade 3/ 4/... 155.371 161.939 178.114 -38.3 14.6 10.0
Gasoline, unleaded premium 3/....... 154.145 160.402 176.508 -37.9 14.5 10.0
Medical care............................ 370.132 369.630 369.782 .0 -.1 .0
Recreation 5/........................... 116.071 117.363 117.106 1.8 .9 -.2
Education and communication 5/.......... 133.355 133.624 133.760 4.2 .3 .1
Other goods and services................ 354.342 359.362 360.425 4.9 1.7 .3
Commodity and service group
All items................................ 235.067 235.582 235.975 -.1 .4 .2
Commodities............................. 172.523 174.002 175.320 -4.7 1.6 .8
Commodities less food and beverages.... 137.268 139.352 141.418 -9.8 3.0 1.5
Nondurables less food and beverages... 162.991 165.186 168.614 -13.7 3.4 2.1
Durables.............................. 103.139 105.022 105.470 -1.9 2.3 .4
Services................................ 288.486 288.200 287.824 2.4 -0.2 -0.1
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care............. 228.933 229.478 229.875 -.1 .4 .2
All items less shelter................... 204.680 205.270 206.023 -2.0 .7 .4
Commodities less food.................... 141.008 143.085 145.129 -9.3 2.9 1.4
Nondurables.............................. 196.684 197.897 199.560 -5.3 1.5 .8
Nondurables less food.................... 167.273 169.430 172.734 -12.6 3.3 2.0
Services less rent of shelter 2/......... 272.298 271.220 270.897 1.7 -.5 -.1
Services less medical care services...... 281.058 280.774 280.371 2.5 -.2 -.1
Energy................................... 179.791 179.376 185.418 -24.7 3.1 3.4
All items less energy.................... 242.107 242.717 242.560 2.4 .2 -.1
All items less food and energy.......... 246.322 247.053 246.949 2.4 .3 .0
1/ This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series
were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
2/ Index is on a December 1982=100 base.
3/ Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
4/ Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
5/ Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
- Data not available.
Last Modified Date: June 17, 2009
