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Consumer Price Index Fluctuates in April

05/19/2010
While the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 2.2 percent over the past year, the index dropped by 0.1 percent for the month of April. The index for energy fell 1.4 percent, with the indexes for gasoline and natural gas decreasing more than other energy sources.

The food index and figures for recreation, airline fares, and medical care all increased in April. The food index rose a total of 0.2 percent in April, the same percentage it rose in March. The indexes for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.4 percent in April, the fourth month in a row it has risen. The fruits and vegetables index declined 0.2 percent in April after rising 3.4 percent in March, and dairy products dropped 0.8 percent.

The shelter index did not change last month, as did the index for new vehicles. But the index for airline fares rose a high 2.2 percent in April. The apparel index dropped 0.7 percent, and the index for household furnishings and operations also dropped, by 0.5 percent.

Still, the stability of the index for all items excluding food and energy has translated to an increase of only 0.9 percent over the past year, the smallest annual increase since January 1966.

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