Price Changes in 1980: Double-Digit Inflation Persists Consumer Prices Jumped 12.4 Percent and Producer Prices, 11
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Price changes in 1980: double-digit inflation persists Consumer prices jumped 12.4 percent and producer prices, 11. 7 percent; costs for energy items rose, but mortgage interest rates fluctuated wildly and a severe drought raised food prices CRAIG HOWELL, DAVE CALLAHAN, AND OTHERS For the second consecutive year, the rate of inflation in 12.8-percent advance in 1979 .' The slowdown in 1980 both retail and primary markets registered double-digit was partly due to the deceleration in the rate of increase increases. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban for the finished energy goods index, which climbed 27.7 Consumers (CPI-U) moved up 12.4 percent, following a percent, after soaring 58 .0 percent in 1979 . Finished 13.3-percent advance during 1979. Prices for all major consumer food prices rose 7.3 percent in 1980, virtually consumer expenditure categories, except apparel and en- the same as during the previous 12 months . Prices for tertainment, increased at least 10 percent over the year. finished goods other than food and energy rose more in Mortgage interest costs advanced 27.6 percent, com- 1980 (11 .0 percent) than in 1979 (9 .3 percent); on aver- pared with a 34.7-percent climb in the preceding year. age these prices advanced rapidly in early 1980 and Prices paid by consumers for energy items were up 18.1 then moderated as the year progressed. At the earlier percent. Although this was larger than the increases re- stages of processing, the price index for intermediate corded for most other cpl components, it was half as goods moved up 12.5 percent over the year, after in- large as the 1979 surge of 37.4 percent. Food prices creasing 16.1 percent from December 1978 to December rose about 10 percent for the second consecutive year. 1979, and crude material prices climbed 11 .9 percent, Excluding food, energy, and mortgage interest costs, following a 16 .4-percent jump during the 12 months however, the rate of increase in the CPI accelerated from ended in December 1979 . 8.7 percent in 1979 to 9.9 percent in 1980. (See table 1.) At the primary market level, Producer Price Indexes Energy cost increases moderate (PPI) for each of the three major stage-of-processing Prices for most energy goods and services continued groupings-finished, intermediate, and crude goods- to rise rapidly in 1980, although the increases were gen- rose at double-digit rates from December 1979 to De- erally less than in 1979 . (See table 2.) The upward cember 1980, although each rate was somewhat slower movement in energy prices reflected increased costs of than the corresponding 1979 pace. The Finished Goods imported crude petroleum as well as higher prices Price Index climbed 11 .7 percent in 1980, following a allowed for domestic crude petroleum and natural gas. The slowdown in the rate of increase was partly due to Craig Howell and Dave Callahan are economists in the Office of reduced consumer and industrial demand for energy . Prices and Living Conditions, Bureau of Labor Statistics . They were In late 1979 and early 1980, assisted by Andrew Clem, John Z. Wetmore, William Thomas, world crude petroleum Eddie Lamb, Mary Burns, and Jesse Thomas, economists in the same prices rose sharply as the security of Persian Gulf oil office . shipments was threatened by political turmoil in Iran MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW April 1981 . Price Changes in 1980 Table 1. Changes in selected components of the Consumer and the Producer Price Indexes, 1979-80 Percent change Contribution' Compound annual rates, seasonally adjusted except as noted, for 3 months ended- Relative Grouping importance Dec. 1978 Dec. 1979 Dec. 1978 Dec. 1979 1980 Dec . 1979 t o t o to to Dec. 1979 Dec. 1960 Dec. 1979 Dec. 1980 Mar . June Sept. Dec . Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) 2 13 .2 All items . 100 .0 13 .3 12 .4 100 .0 100 .0 17 .3 11 .4 7.8 18 .7 10 .0 10 .1 14 .5 15 .3 3 .6 5.9 19.1 12.5 Food and beverages . 24 . 8 13 . 2 Food at home . 12 .2 9 .5 10 .6 9 .1 10 .4 8 4 . 7 5 . 5 11 . 4 9 . 6 4 . 8 4 . 2 9 .1 8 .1 9 .0 12.3 Food away from home . 5.2 Alcoholic beverages . 1 .0 8 .0 7 .6 6 6 7 .4 9 .8 8 .2 15 .8 All Housing . 45.0 15.2 13.7 50 .5 49 .7 18 .5 19 .7 1 .7 30.9 17.4 15.1 39 .0 37 .6 20 .0 23 .1 -1 .4 20 .2 Shelter . 9 .6 Rent , residential3 . 5.3 7.9 9.1 3 .3 3.9 8 .3 10 .0 8 .6 24 .9 19 .8 16.5 35.0 33.2 22 .6 26 .4 -3 .5 23 .1 Homeownership . 9 . 0 Home purchase3 . 10 .4 15 .8 11 .4 12.1 9.5 7 .0 14 .9 14 .9 10 .9 27 .5 23.3 20.0 20.5 41 .5 43 .9 -20 .0 41 .8 Finances , taxes , insurance 3 . 10 .1 Maintenance and repairs . 3 .6 10 .3 10 .6 2.9 3.1 16.2 8 .3 8 .2 6 .5 16 .0 13 .6 7.6 7 .1 19.8 1 7 . 0 9 . 8 8 . 5 Fuel and other utilities . 1 Household furnishings and repairs . 7 .6 6 .4 8 .1 3 .9 5 0. 10 . 8 8 . 4 7 . 8 5 . 1 .1 8.9 4 .3 Apparel and upkeep . 5 .1 5 .5 6 .8 2 .3 2 .8 13 .2 Apparel commodities . 4 .4 4 .5 6 .0 1 .6 2 .1 13 .2 - . 7 8 . 8 3 . 3 9. 2 11 .7 Apparel services . 7 12 .5 12 .4 6 7 14 . 9 13 . 8 11 .3 13.9 Transportation . 18.6 18.2 14 .7 24 .3 22 .0 33 .2 2 .6 . 17.5 18 . 2 14 . 0 23 . 0 19 . 8 34 . 1 1 .8 8 .9 13.8 Private transportation . 56 .7 14 .1 Public transportation . 1 .1 17.9 25 .6 1 .4 2 .2 17 .3 18 .6 9 .2 7 .9 Medical care . 4.8 10.1 10.0 3 .8 3.9 14 .2 8 .9 commodities . 8 7 .6 10. 0 5 6 10 . 2 10 . 7 10 . 2 8 .9 Medical care 8 .9 7 .7 Medical care services . 4 . 0 10 6. 10 . 0 3 . 3 3.3 15 .3 8 .4 9 .1 10.5 5 .0 Entertainment . 3 .7 6 .9 9 .6 2.0 2.9 14.3 9.3 11 .1 9 .0 Other goods and services . 4 .1 7 .9 10 .1 2 .5 3.3 11 .0 7.8 13.2 All items . _ - 100 .0 13 .3 12 .4 100 .0 100 .0 17 .3 11 .4 . 5.8 19.7 13 . 1 Food . 17 .7 10 .2 10 .2 13 .9 14 .6 3 .3 23 .8 27 .7 9 .5 7 .7 12.9 9 . 6 Commodities less food and energy . 34 .5 8 .8 9 .9 2. 5 10.3 37 .4 18 .1 24 .0 15 .1 64 .0 15 .2 3 Energy 3 . 20 .0 - . 17 . 9 Services less energy . 37 .5 13.6 14 .1 38 .3 42 .6 20 .2 100 .0 17 .3 11 .4 7 .8 13 .2 All items . 100.0 13.3 12 .4 100.0 7 40.9 13.7 14.2 42 .1 47 .0 20 .1 20 .5 16 .8 Services . 132 11 . 0 Commodities . - - 59 .1 13.0 10.3 57 .9 53 .0 15 .3 5 .4 mortgage All items less food, energy, and 51 . 0 10 . 7 8 .6 11 .0 9 .3 interest cost . 62 .0 8.7 9 .9 43.2 Producer Price Index (PPI) by stage of processing' 100 .0 17 .5 8.4 13.5 7.8 Finished goods . 100.0 12 .8 11 .7 100 .0 18 .7 27.3 14.4 11 58 .0 27 .7 36 .7 26 . 9 89 . 2 Finished energy goods . .3 16 . 1 - . 9 -1 .4 31 .0 3.6 Consumer foods . 25.9 7 .4 7 .3 15 .7 84 .1 83 . 9 24 . 6 11 .8 8.3 9.3 Finished goods less food . 74.1 14 .8 13 .3 0 10 .4 9 .3 8 .3 9 .4 10.6 47,5 57 . 0 15 . Finished goods less food and energy . 62.8 622 29 . 7 12 .1 7 .6 8 .5 Finished consumer goods less food . 52.0 17 .5 14 .0 68 .2 Finished consumer goods less food and 40 . 7 9 . 7 10.2 31 .7 35 .5 16 .0 10 .0 6 .7 energy . 10 .9 9 .9 11 .4 Capital equipment . 22 .0 8.8 11 .4 15.7 21 .5 13 .6 11 .9 components 100 .0 16 .1 12 .5 100.0 100.0 22.2 6.6 10 .1 Intermediate materials, supplies, and 13 . 0 19 .5 energy goods . 14 .1 44 .7 25 .2 31 .5 28.5 65. 4 9 . 9 Intermediate 7. 5 5 14 . 1 52 . 7 7 Intermediate food and feeds . 6 .1 8 .2 15 .3 3 .4 12 .6 93 .9 16 . 7 12 . 3 96 . 9 92 . 5 23 . 7 6.2 7 .8 Intermediate materials less foods and feeds . 6.9 11 .0 Intermediate materials less food and energy .