US CPI Increased 0.1% in August

  The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1
 percent in August on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of
 Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all
 items index increased 1.5 percent before seasonal adjustment.

 Increases in the indexes for shelter and medical care contributed to
 the increase in the seasonally adjusted all items index; they also
 accounted for most of the 0.1 percent increase in the index for all
 items less food and energy. Within all items less food and energy, the
 indexes for personal care, tobacco, and apparel rose as well, while
 the indexes for airline fares, household furnishings and operations,
 and used cars and trucks declined.

 The food index rose slightly in August, with the fruits and vegetable
 index rising 1.2 percent and four of the six major grocery store group
 indexes increasing. The energy index declined 0.3 percent, due mostly
 to a sharp decline in the index for natural gas. The gasoline and
 electricity indexes also declined slightly, while the index for fuel
 oil rose.

 The all items index increased 1.5 percent over the last 12 months. The
 index for all items less food and energy has risen 1.8 percent over
 the last year; the 12-month change has remained in the range of 1.6
 percent to 2.3 percent since June of 2011. The food index rose 1.4
 percent over the last 12 months, a figure that has held steady since
 May. The energy index declined 0.1 percent over the last 12 months.