Consumer Price Index - Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W)
12-Month Percent Change
Series Id: CWUR0000SA0
Not Seasonally Adjusted
Area: U.S. city average
Item: All items
Base Period: 1982-84=100
July
Apr
Jan
2015
Oct
July
Apr
Jan
2014
Oct
July
Apr
Jan
2013
Oct
July
Apr
Jan
2012
Oct
July
Jan
Apr
2011
Oct
July
Apr
Jan
2010
5
4
3
2
1
0
‐1
‐0.3
‐2
Year
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Aug Sep
Oct Nov Dec
Annual
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
3.3
1.8
3.1
1.5
1.6
-0.8
1.4
4.3
1.7
1.5
1.6
-0.3
1.5
3.9
2.2
0.8
1.5
2.1
3.6
2.1
1.4
1.5
2.8
2.3
3.1
1.9
1.0
-0.6
3.0
3.0
2.9
1.3
1.4
-0.6
2.9
3.6
2.4
0.9
2.0
-0.8
2.6
4.1
1.6
1.2
2.1
-0.6
1.4
4.1
1.6
1.8
2.0
-0.4
1.6
4.1
1.3
2.0
1.9
-0.3
1.4
4.4
2.0
1.0
1.6
1.3
3.8
1.7
1.1
1.1
1.7
3.2
1.7
1.5
0.3
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Query of “CPI-W. U.S. City Average, All
Items,“ “Not Seasonally Adjusted,” “2009-2014,” “12-Month Percent Change,”
http://data.bls.gov/pdq/querytool.jsp?survey=cw (accessed Sept. 25, 2015).
Prepared by the IBEW Research Department, September 2015
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Consumer Price Index - All Urban Consumers (CPI-U)
12-Month Percent Change Series Id: CUUR0000SA0
Not Seasonally Adjusted
Area: U.S. city average
Item: All items
Base Period: 1982-84=100
July
Apr
Jan
2015
Oct
July
Apr
Jan
2014
Oct
July
Apr
Jan
2013
Oct
July
Apr
Jan
2012
Oct
July
Apr
Jan
2011
Oct
July
Apr
Jan
2010
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.2
0.5
0
‐0.5
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
2010
2.6
2.1
2.3
2.2
2.0
1.1
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.2
1.1
1.5
1.6
2011
1.6
2.1
2.7
3.2
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.8
3.9
3.5
3.4
3.0
3.2
2012
2.9
2.9
2.7
2.3
1.7
1.7
1.4
1.7
2.0
2.2
1.8
1.7
2.1
2013
1.6
2.0
1.5
1.1
1.4
1.8
2.0
1.5
1.2
1.0
1.2
1.5
1.5
2014
1.6
1.1
1.5
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.0
1.7
1.7
1.7
13
0.8
1.6
0.0 -0.1 -0.2
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.2
2015 -0.1
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Query of “CPI-U. U.S. City Average, All
Items,“ “Not Seasonally Adjusted,” “2009-2014,” “12-Month Percent Change,”
http://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet (accessed Sept. 25, 2015).
Prepared by the IBEW Research Department, September 2015
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The Consumer Price Index
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the average change in prices over time for a fixed market
basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes two indexes: the index for all
urban consumers (CPI-U) covers the spending habits of 87 percent of the population of the United
States and the index for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) covers the spending habits
of 32 percent of the population.
CPI-U covers, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, professional, managerial, and technical
workers, unemployed persons, retirees, and others not in the labor force. CPI-W covers those
households in which clerical or wage occupations earn more than one-half of the income, and at least
one of the members are employed for 37 weeks or more in such an occupation. People who live in
rural areas, members of the armed services, and persons in institutions are not covered by either index.
Since the CPI is predicated on the purchase of a fixed market basket of goods and services, in the same
proportions, month after month, it is a price index rather than a cost-of-living index. In addition,
because it is expenditure-based rather than income-based, the CPI does not include the effect of
income-related changes in items such as income taxes or social security taxes. Also, it does not reflect
noncash items, such as certain benefits received as part of a job, or services supplied by government
agencies without payment of a specific fee.
Uses of the CPI
Because the CPI measures the price change of a constant market basket of goods and services over
time, a principal use of the CPI is an indicator of inflation. As an economic indicator, it is used by the
Executive Branch, Congress, and the Federal Reserve Board to determine and evaluate federal
economic policy.
A second use of the CPI is to adjust other economic statistics for price change and translate current
dollar amounts into inflation-free values. Statistics adjusted by the CPI include retail sales, hourly and
weekly earnings, and personal consumption expenditures used to calculate the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP).
In addition to private-sector workers whose wages or pensions are adjusted according to changes in the
CPI, the index affects the income of persons receiving benefits under such federal social programs as
social security, military and federal civil service retirement and survivors’ pay, and food stamps. The
official “poverty threshold” estimate, which is the basis of eligibility in many health and welfare
programs of the federal, as well as state and local governments, is updated periodically using the CPI.
Consumer Price Index Levels to Three Decimal Places
Effective with the January 2007 release of the CPI, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has begun
computing percent changes based upon three decimal place indexes rather than one decimal place
indexes. This change applies to the All Items Consumer Price Index and all component indexes for the
CPI-U and CPI-W for the U.S. City Average and for all other published areas. In addition, the CPI
index values are displayed to three decimal places in all paper and electronic publications. As in the
past, percent changes are rounded to one decimal place.
Prepared by the IBEW Research Department, September 2015
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This change in procedure addresses a rounding issue that has resulted in published percent changes that
are 0.1 percentage point higher or lower than the same changes based on unrounded index values (i.e.,
indexes to three or more decimal places). The levels of future indexes will be affected only in that they
will be published to three decimal places rather than one. Official CPI data previously published will
not be revised.
Prepared by the IBEW Research Department, September 2015
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Consumer Price Index
For Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) This table shows the one-month, three-month, six-month, one-year, two-year, three-year, and
four-year change in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
(CPI-W) from the appropriate previous dates to the most current month. For example, the
August 2015 CPI-W level of 233.366* was -0.3 percent lower than the index in August 2014
and -0.2 percent lower than the index in July 2015.
From August 2014 to August 2015, the changes in the major expenditure categories of the CPIW were as follows: Food and beverages: 1.5 percent; Housing: 2.0 percent; Apparel: -0.6
percent; Transportation: -7.5 percent; Medical care: 2.4 percent; Recreation: 0.3 percent;
Education and Communication: -0.6 percent; and Other goods and services: 2.0 percent. The
annual change of the Energy Component was -15.6 percent, and the annual change in All-items
less food and energy ('the core rate of inflation') was 1.8 percent.
CPI-W All Items, U.S. City Average (1982-84=100)
Time Period
Current Month
One Month Ago
Three Months Ago
Six Months Ago
One Year Ago
Two Years Ago
Three Years Ago
Four Years Ago
Month
August
July
May
February
August August August
August Year
2015
2015
2015
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
Index
233.366
233.806
232.908
299.421
234.030
230.359
227.056
223.326
Change In Index
To
Current Month
Percent
--0.2%
0.2%
-22.1%
-0.3%
1.3%
2.8%
4.5%
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, query of "Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
(Current Series), " "One Screen Data Search," "US City Average," "All-Items," "Not Seasonally Adjusted," under
"Databases and Tables," http://data.bls.gov/pdq/querytool.jsp?survey=cw (accessed Sept. 25, 2015).
*The Bureau of Labor Statistics has begun computing percent changes based upon three decimal place indexes
(233.366, rather than one decimal place indexes (233.4).
Prepared by the IBEW Research Department, September 2015
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August
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR URBAN WAGE EARNERS
AND CLERICAL WORKERS (CPI-W)
Month
January
February
March
April
2010
212.568
212.544
213.525
213.958
2011
216.400
217.535
220.024
221.743
2012
223.216
224.317
226.304
227.012
2013
226.520
228.677
229.323
228.949
2014
230.040
230.871
232.560
233.443
2015
228.294
229.421
231.055
231.520
May
June
July
August
214.124
213.839
213.898
214.205
222.954
222.522
222.686
223.326
226.600
226.036
225.568
227.056
229.399
230.002
230.084
230.359
234.216
234.702
234.525
234.030
232.908
233.804
233.806
233.366
September
214.306 223.688 228.184 230.537
234.170
October
November
December
214.623 223.043 227.974 229.735
214.750 222.813 226.595 229.133
215.262 221.166 225.889 229.174
233.229
231.551
229.909
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, query.
Change
Annual CPI Increases
Percent
Points
December 2013 to December 2014
0.735
0.3%
December 2012 to December 2013
3.285
1.5%
December 2011 to December 2012
4.723
2.1%
December 2010 to December 2011
5.904
2.7%
CPI Increases
July 2015 to August 2015
August 2014 to August 2015
August 2013 to August 2014
August 2012 to August 2013
August 2011 to August 2012
-0.440
-0.664
3.671
3.303
3.730
-0.2%
-0.3%
1.6%
1.5%
1.7%
Note: To Calculate the percent increase for a given period: (Step1) divide the later date's
index number by the earlier date's index number, (Step 2) subtract 1 from the result of the
division, and (Step 3) multiply this result by 100.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
233.366
0.997
-0.003
/
x
234.030
1.000
100
=
=
=
0.997
-0.003
-0.3
Prepared by the IBEW Research Department, September 2015
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Consumer Price Index
For Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
COST-OF-LIVING INCREASE BY U.S. CITY AND REGIONAL AREA
CPI-W
CPI-U
August
2015
Percent
change to
August 2015
from
August 2014
August
2015
Percent
change to
August 2015
from
August 2014
233.316
0.2%
233.366
-0.3%
Northeast urban
Midwest urban
252.903
225.830
-0.1%
-0.3%
249.603
221.188
-0.6%
-0.7%
South urban
231.260
-0.2%
228.011
-0.7%
244.737
1.3%
237.791
0.8%
229.527
246.328
-0.1%
1.1%
222.815
238.755
-0.5%
1.0%
261.347
0.1%
256.038
-0.3%
----
----
----
----
--
--
--
--
Atlanta, GA
Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX
Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL
Phil.-Wilm.-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-DE-MD
225.027
220.249
214.652
246.348
244.519
0.6
-0.9
0.3
1.3
-0.3
222.998
216.237
210.819
243.661
245.823
0.4%
-1.3%
-0.2%
0.8%
-0.2%
San Fran.-Oakland-San Jose, CA
259.917
2.6%
256.060
2.5%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA
251.617
1.8%
247.500
1.2%
"--" Not published this month.
--
--
--
--
Area
U.S. City Average
Region
West urban
Selected Local Areas
Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI
Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange, CA
New York-Northern NJ-Long Island,
NY-NJ-CT-PA
Boston-Brockton-Nashua, MA-NH-ME-CT
Cleveland-Akron, OH
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Washington-Baltimore,
DC-MD-VA-WV 6
6
Indexes on a November 1996=100 base
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Table 10. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U):
Selected areas, all items index," and "Table 17. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and clerical Workers (CPI-W):
Selected areas, all items index," http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpid1401.pdf (accessed September 25, 2015).
Prepared by the IBEW Research Department, September 2015
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