DENVER – —Consumer prices in the western United States were down 0.3 percent over the past month, but up 2.7 percent from a year ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said today.
The West Region covered in the report includes 13 states, among them Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Alaska, Arizona, Utah, and Wyoming.
Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that the December decrease was influenced by lower prices for gasoline and apparel.
Over the past 12 months, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), advanced 2.7 percent. Energy prices increased 7.2 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.0 percent since December 2010.
Food prices advanced 0.3 percent of the month of December. Prices for food at home and food away from home both advanced 0.3 percent for the same period.
Over the year, food prices increased 4.5 percent. Prices for food at home advanced 5.7 percent since a year ago and prices for food away from home increased 2.9 percent.
The energy index decreased 3.6 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-5.7 percent). Prices for natural gas services inched down 0.2 percent and prices for electricity declined 0.3 percent in December.
Despite recent declines, energy prices increased 7.2 percent over the year, largely attributable to higher prices for gasoline (11.2 percent). Prices paid for electricity rose 1.4 percent, while prices for natural gas service decreased 2.9 percent during the past year.
The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in December. Higher prices for shelter (0.3 percent) and medical care (0.3 percent) were offset by lower prices for categories such as apparel, other goods and services and recreation.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
