FOR DATA ONLY:  (202) 691-5200      USDL 03-471
FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION:          TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN
(202) 691-7705                      THIS RELEASE IS EMBARGOED
MEDIA CONTACT:  (202) 691-5902      UNTIL 8:30 A.M. (EDT), FRIDAY,
http://www.bls.gov/ppi              SEPTEMBER 12, 2003
                                     
                   Producer Price Indexes -- August 2003

     The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor
reported today that the seasonally adjusted Producer Price Index for
Finished Goods advanced 0.4 percent in August.  This increase followed a
0.1-percent gain in July and a 0.5-percent rise in June.  At the earlier
stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate
goods increased 0.5 percent, following a 0.2-percent gain in July.  The
index for crude materials fell 1.4 percent in August, compared with a 2.9-
percent decline in the prior month.  (See table A.)

Table A.  Monthly and annual percent changes in selected stage-of-processing price
indexes, seasonally adjusted
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
|        |                                                         |         |         |
|        |                   Finished goods                        |         |         |
|        |                                                         |         |         |
|        |---------------------------------------------------------|         |         |
|        |          |          |          |         |  Change in   |         |         |
|        |          |          |          | Except  |finished goods| Inter-  |         |
|        |          |          |          |foods and|from 12 months| mediate |  Crude  |
| Month  |  Total   |  Foods   |  Energy  | energy  |  ago(unadj.) | goods   |  goods  |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

2002                                                    
  Aug.        0.0       -0.4         1.4      -0.1         -1.5         0.4       1.8
  Sept.        .3        -.4         1.2        .3         -1.8          .5       2.2
  Oct.         .8         .4         3.4        .3           .7          .7       2.2
  Nov.        -.3         .4        -1.6       -.1          1.0         -.1       3.7
  Dec.        -.3         .4          .2       -.6          1.2         -.1       2.0
                                                                               
2003                                                                           
  Jan.        1.4        1.9         4.6        .3          2.5         1.2       7.6
  Feb.        1.1         .4         7.4       -.1          3.3         2.0       5.2
  Mar.        1.4         .2         5.4        .7          4.0         2.1      13.0
  Apr.       -1.7         .8      r -8.1     r -.7          2.4      r -2.3   r -15.8
  May       r -.4        r 0      r -3.0      r .2          2.5       r -.7     r 1.5
  June         .5         .4         3.4       -.1          2.9          .5       4.5
  July         .1        -.2          .3        .2          3.0          .2      -2.9
  Aug.         .4         .7         1.2        .1          3.4          .5      -1.4
r=revised.  Some of the figures shown above and elsewhere in this release may differ 
from those previously reported because data for April 2003 have been revised to
reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents.

                                    -2-

     Among finished goods, prices for finished consumer foods climbed 0.7
percent in August, following a 0.2-percent decline in the previous month.
The finished energy goods index moved up 1.2 percent, after rising 0.3
percent in July.  By contrast, the index for finished goods other than
foods and energy edged up 0.1 percent, after increasing 0.2 percent in the
previous month.

     Before seasonal adjustment, the Producer Price Index for Finished
Goods increased 0.3 percent in August to 143.5 (1982=100).  From August
2002 to August 2003, prices for finished goods moved up 3.4 percent.  Over
the same period, the finished energy goods index rose 14.2 percent, prices
for finished consumer foods advanced 5.0 percent, and the index for
finished goods other than foods and energy went up 0.4 percent.  Earlier in
the pipeline, prices for intermediate goods climbed 4.4 percent and the
crude goods index jumped 20.9 percent.

Table B.  Monthly and annual percent changes in selected price indexes for 
intermediate goods and crude goods, seasonally adjusted
 __________________________________________________________________________________
|      |                                     |                                     |
|      |       Intermediate goods            |       Crude goods                   |
|      |                                     |                                     |
|      |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      |       |        |         |Change in |       |         |         | Change  |
|      |       |        |         | interme- |       |         |         |in crude |
|      |       |        |         |  diate   |       |         |         | goods   |
|      |       |        |         |goods from|       |         |         | from 12 |
|      |       |        | Except  |12 months |       |         | Except  | months  |
|      |       |        |foods and|   ago    |       | Energy  |foods and|  ago    |
|Month | Foods | Energy | energy  | (unadj.) | Foods | (unadj.)| energy  |(unadj.) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

 2002                                                          
  Aug.    0.7       1.5      0.2      -1.0       1.7       3.2     -0.4       -3.8
  Sept.   1.1       2.2       .1       -.6       1.3       4.6      -.2        3.1
  Oct.    -.3       3.4       .2       1.6        .2       5.1       .3       15.4
  Nov.     .5      -1.2       .1       2.4       1.1       7.8      1.4       13.7
  Dec.    1.0       -.5      -.1       3.2       1.3       3.3       .2       24.7
                                                                           
 2003                                                                       
  Jan.    1.5       5.6       .4       4.5       5.3      13.0      1.3       28.7
  Feb.     .7       7.9       .7       6.6        .7       9.9      3.4       36.7
  Mar.    -.3      10.2       .4       8.0      -1.8      30.1      -.3       46.8
  Apr.     .1   r -11.0    r -.2     r 4.6     r 1.2   r -30.7     -1.1     r 18.2
  May     1.0    r -4.3      r 0       4.2     r 1.7     r 2.7     -1.9       19.1
  June    1.9       2.0        0       4.5       -.5      10.7       .6       29.4
  July    -.4       1.3      -.1       4.4      -3.0      -4.4       .8       24.5
  Aug.     .2       2.4       .1       4.4       3.7      -7.4      3.7       20.9
r=revised.  Some of the figures shown above and elsewhere in this release may 
differ from those previously reported because data for April 2003 have been 
revised to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents.

                                    -3-

Finished goods

     Prices for finished consumer foods increased 0.7 percent in August,
after posting a 0.2-percent decline in the prior month.  Leading this
turnaround, the index for beef and veal moved up 3.8 percent, following a
5.6-percent drop in July.  Prices for fresh and dry vegetables and for
finfish and shellfish also turned up in August, after falling a month
earlier.  The fresh fruits and melons index advanced at a faster rate than
it did in the previous month, and pork prices fell less in August than they
did in the prior month.  Alternatively, the rate of increase for the dairy
products index slowed from 3.4 percent in July to 2.4 percent in August.
The index for eggs for fresh use also rose less than it did in July.
Prices for processed young chickens and for processed fruits and vegetables
turned down, following increases in the preceding month.  The soft drinks
index fell, after showing no change a month earlier.

     Prices for finished energy goods rose 1.2 percent in August, compared
with a 0.3-percent gain in the previous month.  The majority of this
acceleration was due to prices for gasoline, which increased 6.3 percent in
August after rising 3.6 percent in July.  Prices for residential electric
power and kerosene turned up, following decreases in the prior month.  The
liquefied petroleum gas index fell less than it did a month earlier.  On
the other hand, residential natural gas prices declined 1.5 percent in
August, after showing no change in the preceding month.  The indexes for
home heating oil and diesel fuel rose at a slower pace than they did in
July.

     The index for capital equipment inched up 0.1 percent, following a 0.4-
percent gain a month earlier.  In August, rising prices for civilian
aircraft, light motor trucks, passenger cars, pumps and compressors, and
commercial furniture slightly outweighed falling prices for communications
and related equipment, electronic computers, railroad equipment,
agricultural machinery and equipment, x-ray and electromedical equipment,
and heavy motor trucks.

     The index for finished consumer goods other than foods and energy
moved up 0.1 percent in August, after rising at the same rate in the
previous month.  In August, increasing prices for light motor trucks,
passenger cars, pharmaceutical preparations, men's and boys' apparel,
textile housefurnishings, and mobile homes prevailed over decreasing prices
for lawn and garden equipment (except tractors), alcoholic beverages,
household appliances, pet food, and periodical circulation.

Intermediate goods

     The Producer Price Index for Intermediate Materials, Supplies, and
Components climbed 0.5 percent in August, after registering a 0.2-percent
gain in July.  Prices for materials for nondurable manufacturing, materials
for durable manufacturing, and intermediate foods and feeds advanced in
August, following declines in the preceding month.  The index for
intermediate energy goods rose at a quicker pace in August than it did a
month earlier.  On the other hand, the index for materials and components
for construction increased less in August than it did in the previous
month.  Excluding foods and energy, prices for intermediate goods edged up
0.1 percent in August, following a 0.1-percent dip in July.  (See table B.)

     The index for materials for nondurable manufacturing jumped 1.1
percent in August, compared with a 0.3-percent decrease in the prior month.
Much of this upturn can be traced to prices for primary basic organic
chemicals, which climbed 7.9 percent after falling 4.4 percent in July.
The indexes for fertilizer materials, finished fabrics, processed yarns and
threads, synthetic fibers, intermediate basic organic chemicals, and
medicinal and botanical chemicals also turned up in August.  Prices for
plastic resins and materials fell less than they did a month earlier.  The
paperboard index was unchanged, after declining in July.  By contrast,
prices for basic inorganic chemicals decreased 0.3 percent in August,
following a 1.1-percent gain a month earlier.  The index for paper turned
down, after showing no change in July, while leather prices remained
unchanged in August following a July increase.

                                    -4-

     Prices for intermediate energy goods rose at a faster pace in August
than they did in the previous month -- up 2.4 percent after a 1.3-percent
gain in July.  The index for natural gas to electric utilities jumped 7.8
percent, compared with a 4.3-percent drop in the preceding month.  Prices
for industrial natural gas, jet fuels, and finished lubricants also turned
up in August.  The index for commercial electric power moved up, after
showing no change in July.  Gasoline prices climbed at a quicker pace in
August than they did a month earlier, while the index for liquefied
petroleum gas fell at a slower rate than it did in July.  On the other
hand, prices for residual fuels advanced 5.3 percent in August, following a
44.6-percent surge in the previous month.  The index for industrial
electric power also rose less than it did in the prior month.  Subsequent
to a 0.8-percent gain in July, prices for commercial natural gas were
unchanged in August.

     The index for materials for durable manufacturing increased 0.6
percent in August, after declining 0.2 percent in July.  Prices for steel
mill products climbed 0.6 percent, following a 1.3-percent drop a month
earlier.  The indexes for primary aluminum (except extrusion billet),
refined gold, and unprocessed filament yarns also turned up in August.
Prices for aluminum mill shapes fell less than they did in July.  By
contrast, the index for building paper and board rose at a slower rate in
August than it did in the previous month -- 3.0 percent and 12.5 percent,
respectively.  Prices for plywood, prepared paint, hardwood lumber, and for
copper and brass mill shapes also went up less than they did in the prior
month.  The index for copper cathode and refined copper turned down in
August.

     Prices for intermediate foods and feeds moved up 0.2 percent in
August, after decreasing 0.4 percent in July.  The index for beef and veal
jumped 3.8 percent, following a 5.6-percent drop in the preceding month.
Prices for crude vegetable oils, shortening and cooking oils, flour, and
portion-controlled meat products also advanced in August, after declining a
month earlier.  On the other hand, prices for prepared animal feeds went
down 2.3 percent in August, compared with a 0.5-percent gain in the prior
month.  The index for processed young chickens also fell, after rising in
July.  Prices for natural, processed, and imitation cheese climbed less in
August than they did in the previous month.

     Prices for materials and components for construction moved up at a 0.1-
percent rate in August, following a 0.3-percent gain in July.  The softwood
lumber index advanced 0.4 percent, after rising 4.6 percent in the prior
month.  Price increases for plywood, millwork, treated wood, and hardwood
lumber also slowed in August.  The indexes for gypsum products and for
prefabricated wood buildings and components turned down, after advancing in
July.  On the other hand, prices for plastic construction products fell 0.2
percent in August, compared with a 1.5-percent drop a month earlier.  The
indexes for steel mill products, paving mixtures and blocks, fabricated
structural metal products, and nonferrous wire and cable turned up,
following declines in the previous month.

Crude goods

     The Producer Price Index for Crude Materials for Further Processing
fell 1.4 percent in August, after dropping 2.9 percent in July.  Prices for
crude foodstuffs and feedstuffs increased, after posting a decline one
month earlier.  The index for basic industrial materials rose more in
August than it did in July.  Conversely, prices for crude energy materials
declined more rapidly in August than in the prior month.  (See table B.)
     
     The index for crude foodstuffs and feedstuffs advanced 3.7 percent in
August, after falling 3.0 percent in July.  Slaughter cattle prices led the
reversal with a 6.1-percent increase, following a 3.0-percent decrease the
prior month.  The indexes for wheat and slaughter hogs also rebounded,
after dropping in July, and corn prices fell at a slower rate in August
then they did in the preceding month.  Conversely, prices for slaughter
broilers and fryers climbed only 2.4 percent, after advancing 5.0 percent
in July.  The slaughter turkey index fell more in August than it did in the
prior month.
     
                                    -5-
                                     
     Prices for crude nonfood materials other than energy rose 3.7 percent
in August, after increasing 0.8 percent in the prior month.  The index for
iron and steel scrap grew 8.8 percent, following a 3.1-percent jump in
July.  Prices for nonferrous metal ores and wastepaper turned up, compared
with decreases in the previous month.  By contrast, prices for raw cotton
fell 7.7 percent, after rising 10.2 percent a month earlier.  The index for
iron ore increased at a slower rate in August than it did in July.
     
     The August index for crude energy materials continued to fall,
dropping 7.4 percent after a 4.4-percent decline in July.  This faster rate
of decrease was due to natural gas prices, which dropped 13.1 percent after
sliding 6.2 percent in the preceding month.  By contrast, the index for
crude petroleum advanced by 1.5 percent, compared with a 0.7-percent
decline in July.  Coal also turned up, climbing 1.3 percent following a 3.0-
percent fall the prior month.
     
Net output price indexes for mining, manufacturing, and services industries

Mining.  The Producer Price Index for the Net Output of Total Mining
Industries fell 6.0 percent in August, after declining 3.7 percent in July.
(Net output price indexes are not seasonally adjusted.)  Prices received by
the natural gas liquids and natural gas residue industry moved down 10.7
percent, following a 5.1-percent drop in the preceding month.  The index
for the crude petroleum and natural gas industry also fell more in August
than it did in July.  Prices received by the industries for coal mining
services and for chemical and fertilizer mineral mining turned down, after
rising a month earlier.  On the other hand, the industry index for oil and
gas field services advanced 2.2 percent, after edging down 0.1 percent in
July.  Prices received by the industries for bituminous coal and lignite
surface mining and for gold ores also turned up in August, following
declines in the previous month.  In August, the Producer Price Index for
the Net Output of Total Mining Industries was 125.2 (December 1984 = 100),
30.6 percent above its year-ago level.

Manufacturing.  The Producer Price Index for the Net Output of Total
Manufacturing Industries rose 0.4 percent in August, slightly more than the
0.2-percent increase observed in July.  Leading this acceleration, the
index for the petroleum refining and related products industry group
advanced 5.0 percent, following a 2.3-percent gain in the prior month.
Prices received by the industry groups for food and kindred products,
transportation equipment, and primary metals turned up in August, after
falling a month earlier.  Conversely, the industry group index for
electrical and electronic machinery, equipment, and supplies turned down
1.2 percent, following a 0.1-percent increase in July.  Prices for the
lumber and wood products (except furniture) industry group rose less than
they did in the previous month.  In August, the Producer Price Index for
the Net Output of Total Manufacturing Industries was 137.0 (December 1984 =
100), 2.5 percent above its year-ago level.

Services.  Among service industries, prices received by the industries for
property and casualty insurance, telephone communications (except
radiotelephone), non-local trucking, offices of physicians, general medical
and surgical hospitals, prepackaged software, and help supply services
increased in August.  Alternatively, the industry indexes for operators and
lessors of nonresidential buildings, scheduled air transportation, real
estates agents and managers, travel agencies, and wireless communications
fell in August.

                                   *****
           Producer Price Index data for September 2003 will be
         released on Friday, October 10, 2003, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT).

                                    -6-

                             NAICS Conversion

     The net output price indexes will be converted from the 1987 Standard
Industrial Classification (SIC) basis to the 2002 North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) basis with the February 2004 release of
January 2004 indexes.  The NAICS conversion involves major definitional
changes to many of the currently published SIC-based indexes.  After the
conversion to NAICS, SIC-based indexes will no longer be produced or
published.  Historical index data based on the NAICS publication structure
will be available depending on the scope of the definitional changes
between SIC and NAICS.

     For more information contact the Division of Industrial Prices and
Price Indexes, Section of Index Analysis and Public Information at ppi-
info@bls.gov or (202) 691-7705.

Table 1.  Producer price indexes and percent changes by stage of processing                                                    
(1982=100)                                                                                                                     
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                 |          |                       |Unadjusted     |                          
                                                 |          |                       |  percent      |Seasonally adjusted       
                                                 | Relative |    Unadjusted index   |change to      |percent change from:      
                    Grouping                     |importance|                       |Aug. 2003 from:|                          
                                                 |          |_______________________|_______________|__________________________
                                                 |   Dec.   |       |       |       |       |       |       |         |        
                                                 |          |Apr.   |July   |Aug.   |  Aug. | July  | May to|June  to |July  to
                                                 |   2002 1/|2003 2/|2003 2/|2003 2/|  2002 | 2003  |  June |   July  |  Aug.  
_________________________________________________|__________|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_________|________
                                                 |                                                                             
Finished goods...................................|  100.000   142.1   143.0   143.5     3.4    0.3      0.5      0.1     0.4   
  Finished consumer goods........................|   73.339   143.8   145.0   145.7     4.4     .5       .8       .1      .6   
    Finished consumer foods......................|   20.672   144.0   145.0   146.2     5.0     .8       .4      -.2      .7   
      Crude......................................|    1.333   133.7   119.8   127.8     1.9    6.7     -8.3      1.0     5.6   
      Processed..................................|   19.339   144.8   147.1   147.7     5.2     .4      1.1      -.3      .3   
    Finished consumer goods, excluding foods.....|   52.667   143.5   144.7   145.1     4.2     .3       .9       .1      .5   
      Nondurable goods less foods................|   36.364   146.9   149.1   149.7     5.8     .4      1.4       .2      .5   
      Durable goods..............................|   16.303   132.5   131.6   131.6      .5    0        -.4       .2      .2   
  Capital equipment..............................|   26.661   139.1   139.3   139.3      .8    0        -.1       .4      .1   
    Manufacturing industries.....................|    7.839   139.6   140.3   140.5      .6     .1      0         .4      .1   
    Nonmanufacturing industries..................|   18.822   138.9   138.8   138.8      .9    0        -.2       .3      .1   
                                                 |                                                                             
Intermediate materials, supplies, and components.|  100.000   133.0   133.7   134.0     4.4     .2       .5       .2      .5   
  Materials and components for manufacturing.....|   46.896   129.4   129.4   130.0     2.8     .5       .3      -.2      .5   
    Materials for food manufacturing.............|    2.918   129.6   133.7   135.5    10.1    1.3      2.6      -.7     1.3   
    Materials for nondurable manufacturing.......|   14.707   137.6   136.6   137.9     5.8    1.0       .4      -.3     1.1   
    Materials for durable manufacturing..........|    9.136   126.7   127.3   127.9     2.1     .5       .3      -.2      .6   
    Components for manufacturing.................|   20.136   126.0   126.0   125.9     0      -.1      -.2       .1     -.1   
  Materials and components for construction......|   12.772   152.9   153.7   153.8     1.1     .1       .1       .3      .1   
  Processed fuels and lubricants.................|   16.110   110.8   113.0   113.6    16.4     .5      2.1       .9     2.0   
    Manufacturing industries ....................|    6.430   115.0   118.5   118.2    19.4    -.3      2.0      1.5     1.8   
    Nonmanufacturing industries..................|    9.680   108.1   109.6   110.7    14.4    1.0      2.2       .5     2.0   
  Containers.....................................|    3.248   154.0   153.7   153.6     1.4    -.1      -.2      -.1     -.1   
  Supplies.......................................|   20.974   141.3   141.6   141.4     1.5    -.1      -.1       .1     -.1   
    Manufacturing industries.....................|    4.589   146.8   146.9   147.0     1.5     .1      -.1       .1     0     
    Nonmanufacturing industries..................|   16.385   138.7   139.1   138.8     1.5    -.2      0         .1     -.2   
      Feeds......................................|    1.097   102.2   104.7   101.8     -.4   -2.8       .1       .4    -2.8   
      Other supplies.............................|   15.288   143.2   143.4   143.3     1.6    -.1      -.1       .1     -.1   
                                                 |                                                                             
Crude materials for further processing...........|  100.000   128.0   133.0   131.4    20.9   -1.2      4.5     -2.9    -1.4   
  Foodstuffs and feedstuffs......................|   38.685   107.0   107.4   111.5    11.8    3.8      -.5     -3.0     3.7   
  Nonfood materials..............................|   61.315   140.6   149.1   142.9    27.5   -4.2      7.7     -2.9    -4.2   
    Nonfood materials except fuel 3/.............|   33.142   110.5   113.9   117.0    10.6    2.7      5.2       .1     2.7   
      Manufacturing 3/...........................|   32.295   101.5   104.7   107.6    10.9    2.8      5.3       .1     2.8   
      Construction...............................|    0.847   180.3   178.5   179.7    -1.4     .7      -.4      -.3     1.0   
    Crude fuel 4/................................|   28.173   176.9   193.4   171.8    54.6  -11.2     10.3     -5.8   -11.2   
      Manufacturing industries...................|    2.540   168.4   183.4   163.6    52.0  -10.8     10.1     -5.8   -10.8   
      Nonmanufacturing industries................|   25.633   180.9   197.8   175.7    54.9  -11.2     10.3     -5.9   -11.2   
                                                 |                                                                             
               Special groupings                 |                                                                             
                                                 |                                                                             
Finished goods, excluding foods..................|5/ 79.328   141.5   142.3   142.6     3.0     .2       .5       .3      .4   
Intermediate materials less foods and feeds......|6/ 95.985   133.7   134.2   134.6     4.3     .3       .5       .1      .6   
Intermediate foods and feeds.....................|6/  4.015   121.2   124.8   125.1     7.1     .2      1.9      -.4      .2   
Crude materials less agricultural products 3/ 7/.|8/ 59.316   143.0   151.9   145.0    28.1   -4.5      7.9     -3.1    -4.6   
                                                 |                                                                             
Finished energy goods............................|5/ 14.951   100.0   103.5   104.3    14.2     .8      3.4       .3     1.2   
Finished goods less energy.......................|5/ 85.049   148.2   148.3   148.7     1.5     .3      0         .1      .3   
Finished consumer goods less energy..............|5/ 58.388   152.1   152.2   152.7     1.8     .3       .1      0        .3   
                                                 |                                                                             
Finished goods less foods and energy.............|5/ 64.377   150.0   149.8   149.9      .4     .1      -.1       .2      .1   
Finished consumer goods less foods and energy....|5/ 37.716   157.4   156.9   157.0      .1     .1      -.1       .1      .1   
Consumer nondurable goods less foods and energy..|5/ 21.413   177.5   177.5   177.6     -.2     .1       .1       .1      .1   
                                                 |                                                                             
Intermediate energy goods........................|6/ 16.468   110.1   112.3   113.5    17.0    1.1      2.0      1.3     2.4   
Intermediate materials less energy...............|6/ 83.532   137.3   137.5   137.7     2.0     .1       .1      -.1      .1   
Intermediate materials less foods and energy.....|6/ 79.517   138.4   138.4   138.6     1.8     .1      0        -.1      .1   
                                                 |                                                                             
Crude energy materials 3/........................|8/ 41.909   138.8   151.0   139.9    38.2   -7.4     10.7     -4.4    -7.4   
Crude materials less energy......................|8/ 58.093   117.0   117.3   121.7    10.6    3.8      -.2     -1.8     3.7   
Crude nonfood materials less energy 4/...........|8/ 19.406   146.7   146.5   152.0     8.3    3.8       .6       .8     3.7   
                                                 |                                                                             
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                                                                               
  1/  Comprehensive relative importance figures are initially computed          4/  Excludes crude petroleum.                  
      after the publication of December indexes and are recalculated            5/  Percent of total finished goods.           
      after final December indexes are available.                               6/  Percent of total intermediate materials.   
  2/  The indexes for April 2003 have been recalculated to incorporate          7/  Formerly titled "Crude materials for       
      late reports and corrections by respondents.  All indexes                     further processing, excluding crude        
      are subject to revision 4 months after original publication.                  foodstuffs and feedstuffs, plant and       
  3/  Includes crude petroleum.                                                     animal fibers, oilseeds, and leaf tobacco."
                                                                                8/  Percent of total crude materials.          
           

Table 2.  Producer price indexes and percent changes for selected commodity groupings by stage of processing                         
(1982=100 unless otherwise indicated)                                                                                                
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
           |                                                       |                       |Unadjusted     |                         
           |                                                       |                       | percent       |Seasonally adjusted      
           |                                                       |   Unadjusted index    |change to      |percent change from:     
 Commodity |                                                       |                       |Aug. 2003 from:|                         
   code    |                      Grouping                         |_______________________|_______________|________________________ 
           |                                                       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |         
           |                                                       |Apr.   |July   |Aug.   | Aug.  | July  | May to|June to|July to  
           |                                                       |2003 1/|2003 1/|2003 1/| 2002  | 2003  |  June |  July |  Aug.   
___________|_______________________________________________________|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|________ 
           |                                                       |                                                                 
           |FINISHED GOODS.........................................| 142.1   143.0   143.5     3.4    0.3      0.5     0.1     0.4   
           | FINISHED CONSUMER GOODS...............................| 143.8   145.0   145.7     4.4     .5       .8      .1      .6   
           |  FINISHED CONSUMER FOODS..............................| 144.0   145.0   146.2     5.0     .8       .4     -.2      .7   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
01-11      |   Fresh fruits and melons 2/..........................|  75.9    78.7    84.3    -8.5    7.1    -11.9      .6     7.1   
01-13      |   Fresh and dry vegetables 2/.........................| 150.0   120.4   125.6    -1.1    4.3    -14.1    -4.1     4.3   
01-71-07   |   Eggs for fresh use (Dec. 1991=100)..................|  99.6    97.9   114.4    32.4   16.9       .8     8.2     3.2   
02-11      |   Bakery products 2/..................................| 195.1   195.3   195.1     2.9    -.1      -.3      .2     -.1   
02-13      |   Milled rice 2/......................................|  91.7   101.1   105.9    37.7    4.7      -.2     2.2     4.7   
02-14-02   |   Pasta products (June 1985=100) 2/...................| 126.5   126.5   126.5     4.2    0        -.1     0       0     
02-21-01   |   Beef and veal 2/....................................| 127.3   130.6   135.6    21.6    3.8      6.7    -5.6     3.8   
02-21-04   |   Pork................................................| 112.2   123.1   117.7     8.2   -4.4      7.8    -4.0    -3.7   
02-22-03   |   Processed young chickens............................| 114.6   122.0   123.1    13.6     .9       .9     2.1     -.3   
02-22-06   |   Processed turkeys...................................|  89.2    90.0    89.7    -6.6    -.3     -2.6     1.0     -.7   
02-23      |   Finfish and shellfish...............................| 214.5   192.7   194.3     2.7     .8     -1.5    -2.1      .8   
02-3       |   Dairy products......................................| 133.6   139.3   143.6     6.9    3.1     -1.1     3.4     2.4   
02-4       |   Processed fruits and vegetables 2/..................| 133.8   133.5   133.0      .4    -.4      -.1      .2     -.4   
02-55      |   Confectionery end products 2/.......................| 182.7   184.0   184.0     4.1    0        -.2      .5     0     
02-62      |   Soft drinks.........................................| 152.8   152.6   152.2      .7    -.3       .7     0       -.3   
02-63-01   |   Roasted coffee 2/...................................| 127.6   127.7   127.8     5.1     .1      4.6     -.1      .1   
02-78      |   Shortening and cooking oils 2/......................| 154.7   158.7   159.5    11.2     .5      1.2     -.3      .5   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
           |  FINISHED CONSUMER GOODS EXCLUDING FOODS..............| 143.5   144.7   145.1     4.2     .3       .9      .1      .5   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
02-61      |   Alcoholic beverages.................................| 149.3   149.0   148.6     1.3    -.3       .1      .1     -.2   
03-81-01   |   Women's apparel 2/..................................| 124.4   122.2   122.3     0       .1      -.2     0        .1   
03-81-02   |   Men's and boys' apparel 2/..........................| 127.5   126.4   126.9    -1.2     .4       .2     -.2      .4   
03-81-03   |   Girls', children's, and infants' apparel 2/.........| 119.3   120.0   120.6     1.0     .5       .6     0        .5   
03-82      |   Textile housefurnishings 2/.........................| 122.4   121.4   122.1     -.2     .6      0       -.6      .6   
04-3       |   Footwear 2/.........................................| 147.3   147.6   147.6     1.2    0        -.1      .1     0     
05-41      |   Residential electric power (Dec. 1990=100)..........| 115.7   123.3   123.8     3.8     .4      1.1     -.3      .5   
05-51      |   Residential gas (Dec. 1990=100).....................| 167.6   172.7   168.1    28.9   -2.7      3.6     0      -1.5   
05-71      |   Gasoline............................................| 100.1   101.1   106.4    20.8    5.2      7.6     3.6     6.3   
05-73-02-01|   Fuel oil No. 2......................................|  93.8    87.3    91.6    21.5    4.9      9.0     1.7     1.6   
06-38      |   Pharmaceutical preparations (June 2001=100) 2/......| 106.3   107.5   107.8     4.8     .3       .7      .6      .3   
06-71      |   Soaps and synthetic detergents 2/...................| 129.6   130.1   130.1     0      0         .1      .5     0     
06-75      |   Cosmetics and other toilet preparations 2/..........| 140.6   140.4   140.4      .6    0        -.1      .1     0     
07-12      |   Tires, tubes, tread, etc 2/.........................|  97.5    98.1    98.0     2.8    -.1      -.1      .6     -.1   
09-15-01   |   Sanitary papers and health products 2/..............| 150.4   149.9   150.2      .3     .2      -.2     -.2      .2   
09-31-01   |   Newspaper circulation 2/............................| 229.9   230.0   229.9     1.7    0        -.9     0       0     
09-32-01   |   Periodical circulation..............................| 220.2   220.7   220.7     4.3    0         .4      .3     -.3   
09-33      |   Book publishing.....................................| 241.6   243.8   244.8     3.5     .4      0        .6      .2   
12-1       |   Household furniture.................................| 158.2   158.3   158.2      .6    -.1      0        .1      .1   
12-3       |   Floor coverings 2/..................................| 132.4   134.9   134.7     2.9    -.1      1.9      .6     -.1   
12-4       |   Household appliances 2/.............................| 102.6   102.1   101.8    -2.6    -.3      -.4     -.2     -.3   
12-5       |   Home electronic equipment 2/........................|  68.0    67.0    67.0    -3.0    0        -.4     -.9     0     
12-62      |   Household glassware.................................| 169.2   169.0   169.1     -.4     .1      -.1      .1      .1   
12-64      |   Household flatware 2/...............................| 145.2   145.2   145.2      .1    0        0       0       0     
12-66      |   Lawn and garden equip., ex. tractors 2/.............| 133.4   134.0   132.0    -1.5   -1.5      -.1      .5    -1.5   
14-11-01   |   Passenger cars......................................| 129.4   126.5   126.3      .8    -.2      -.7      .4      .3   
15-11      |   Toys, games, and children's vehicles 2/.............| 124.9   125.0   125.0      .1    0        0       0       0     
15-12      |   Sporting and athletic goods 2/......................| 125.3   124.6   124.1     -.8    -.4      -.2     -.6     -.4   
15-2       |   Tobacco products 2/.................................| 428.7   429.6   429.7    -7.9    0        -.1     0       0     
15-5       |   Mobile homes 2/.....................................| 168.2   169.2   169.7     1.6     .3       .1      .2      .3   
15-94-02   |   Jewelry, platinum, & karat gold 2/..................| 131.4   131.5   131.6     1.3     .1       .3     -.3      .1   
15-94-04   |   Costume jewelry and novelties 2/....................| 144.8   144.3   144.8      .3     .3      0       0        .3   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
           | CAPITAL EQUIPMENT.....................................| 139.1   139.3   139.3      .8    0        -.1      .4      .1   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
11-1       |   Agricultural machinery and equipment 2/.............| 160.2   160.6   160.1      .9    -.3       .1      .1     -.3   
11-2       |   Construction machinery and equipment................| 153.3   153.6   153.6     1.5    0         .1      .1      .1   
11-37      |   Metal cutting machine tools 2/......................| 150.8   150.4   150.5    -2.0     .1      -.1      .1      .1   
11-38      |   Metal forming machine tools 2/......................| 167.3   167.7   167.7      .2    0        0        .2     0     
11-39      |   Tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, and ind. molds 2/......| 139.3   139.2   139.2    -1.0    0        -.1      .4     0     
11-41      |   Pumps, compressors, and equipment...................| 162.9   163.1   163.7     1.4     .4       .2     -.1      .4   
11-44      |   Industrial material handling equipment 2/...........| 137.6   138.3   138.2      .9    -.1       .3      .2     -.1   
11-51      |   Electronic computers (Dec. 1998=100) 2/.............|  35.1    33.9    33.4   -18.3   -1.5     -1.1    -1.7    -1.5   
11-62      |   Textile machinery 2/................................| 157.0   157.9   157.9      .8    0         .6     0       0     
11-64      |   Paper industries machinery (June 1982=100)..........| 170.3   170.3   170.3      .5    0        -.2     -.2      .1   
11-65      |   Printing trades machinery 2/........................| 142.4   143.6   143.2     -.6    -.3      1.7     -.7     -.3   
11-74      |   Transformers and power regulators 2/................| 131.7   132.3   132.3      .7    0        -.8      .7     0     
11-76      |   Communication & related equip. (Dec. 1985=100) 2/...| 106.2   106.5   105.5    -1.5    -.9      -.7      .4     -.9   
11-79-05   |   X-ray and electromedical equipment 2/...............| 100.1   100.8   100.5     -.5    -.3      -.3     -.8     -.3   
11-91      |   Oil field and gas field machinery ..................| 139.3   140.2   140.2     3.2    0         .2      .3      .2   
11-92      |   Mining machinery and equipment 2/...................| 154.7   154.7   154.7     1.8    0        -.4     0       0     
11-93      |   Office and store machines and equipment 2/..........| 111.7   114.1   114.2     1.8     .1      -.5     1.8      .1   
12-2       |   Commercial furniture 2/.............................| 162.2   162.5   162.6      .9     .1       .1     -.1      .1   
14-11-05   |   Light motor trucks..................................| 147.5   144.5   145.6     1.3     .8     -1.5      .5      .8   
14-11-06   |   Heavy motor trucks 2/...............................| 155.3   154.4   154.3     1.0    -.1      -.1      .1     -.1   
14-14      |   Truck trailers 2/...................................| 139.6   139.4   139.5      .5     .1      0       -.1      .1   
14-21-02   |   Civilian aircraft (Dec. 1985=100)...................| 176.4   181.4   183.8     7.0    1.3      1.1     1.3     1.3   
14-31      |   Ships (Dec. 1985=100) 2/............................| 158.2   158.2   158.2     4.5    0        0       0       0     
14-4       |   Railroad equipment 2/...............................| 136.0   137.8   136.5     1.1    -.9       .1     1.0     -.9   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
           |INTERMEDIATE MATERIALS, SUPPLIES, AND COMPONENTS.......| 133.0   133.7   134.0     4.4     .2       .5      .2      .5   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
           | INTERMEDIATE FOODS AND FEEDS..........................| 121.2   124.8   125.1     7.1     .2      1.9     -.4      .2   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
02-12-03   |   Flour 2/............................................| 123.3   123.2   124.6     5.3    1.1      -.6    -1.1     1.1   
02-53      |   Refined sugar and byproducts 2/.....................| 122.4   122.9   123.2     4.5     .2       .8     -.2      .2   
02-54      |   Confectionery materials 2/..........................| 126.3   124.6   124.1     5.3    -.4      -.4      .2     -.4   
02-72      |   Crude vegetable oils 2/.............................| 110.4   137.8   142.7    46.8    3.6     23.7    -1.2     3.6   
02-9       |   Prepared animal feeds 2/............................| 109.0   111.4   108.8     -.3   -2.3       .1      .5    -2.3   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
           | INTERMEDIATE MATERIALS LESS FOODS AND FEEDS...........| 133.7   134.2   134.6     4.3     .3       .5      .1      .6   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
03-1       |   Synthetic fibers 2/.................................| 106.4   106.7   106.9      .5     .2       .2     -.2      .2   
03-2       |   Processed yarns and threads 2/......................| 103.6   103.3   103.7     1.1     .4      -.2     -.2      .4   
03-3       |   Gray fabrics 2/.....................................| 110.8   111.1   110.6    -1.8    -.5       .7     -.4     -.5   
03-4       |   Finished fabrics....................................| 119.8   120.6   121.2      .6     .5       .4     -.5      .7   
03-83-03   |   Industrial textile products 2/......................| 130.7   131.1   130.7    -1.5    -.3       .6     -.2     -.3   
04-2       |   Leather 2/..........................................| 214.7   211.9   211.8     1.4    0       -1.7     1.1     0     
05-32      |   Liquefied petroleum gas 2/..........................| 141.4   142.9   142.8    33.3    -.1      6.6    -4.7     -.1   
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
See footnotes at end of table.                                                                                                       

Table 2.  Producer price indexes and percent changes for selected commodity groupings by stage of processing - Continued             
(1982=100 unless otherwise indicated)                                                                                                
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
           |                                                       |                       |Unadjusted     |                         
           |                                                       |                       | percent       |Seasonally adjusted      
           |                                                       |   Unadjusted index    |change to      |percent change from:     
 Commodity |                                                       |                       |Aug. 2003 from:|                         
   code    |                      Grouping                         |_______________________|_______________|________________________ 
           |                                                       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |         
           |                                                       |Apr.   |July   |Aug.   | Aug.  | July  | May to|June to|July to  
           |                                                       |2003 1/|2003 1/|2003 1/| 2002  | 2003  |  June |  July |  Aug.   
___________|_______________________________________________________|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|________ 
           |                                                       |                                                                 
           | INTERMEDIATE MATERIALS LESS FOODS AND FEEDS           |                                                                 
           |   -Continued..........................................|                                                                 
05-42      |   Commercial electric power...........................| 136.9   144.6   146.0     1.5    1.0     -3.2     0       1.0   
05-43      |   Industrial electric power...........................| 144.3   151.2   152.0     4.8     .5     -2.4      .8      .6   
05-52      |   Commercial natural gas (Dec. 1990=100)..............| 172.4   175.4   171.7    32.7   -2.1      4.7      .8     0     
05-53      |   Industrial natural gas (Dec. 1990=100)..............| 181.2   182.8   177.4    37.9   -3.0      6.5     -.7     2.2   
05-54      |   Natural gas to electric utilities (Dec. 1990=100)...| 153.9   148.1   143.6    53.9   -3.0     12.8    -4.3     7.8   
05-72-03   |   Jet fuels...........................................|  83.2    79.6    80.8    11.4    1.5      6.4    -1.0      .2   
05-73-03   |   No. 2 Diesel fuel...................................| 102.3    92.7    96.6    20.1    4.2      4.1     2.8     2.7   
05-74      |   Residual fuel 2/....................................|  92.0   115.4   121.5    59.0    5.3     -4.8    44.6     5.3   
06-1       |   Industrial chemicals 2/.............................| 140.6   139.4   141.2     8.9    1.3      1.2    -1.1     1.3   
06-21      |   Prepared paint......................................| 170.4   171.7   171.6     2.8    -.1      -.2      .6      .1   
06-22      |   Paint materials 2/..................................| 173.5   173.8   173.4      .5    -.2       .6     -.2     -.2   
06-31      |   Medicinal and botanical chemicals 2/................| 135.7   134.9   135.2     2.1     .2       .4     -.4      .2   
06-4       |   Fats and oils, inedible.............................| 114.8   116.9   110.9    17.9   -5.1      1.9    -2.8    -3.6   
06-51      |   Mixed fertilizers...................................| 120.0   119.5   119.7     5.4     .2      0       0        .3   
06-52-01   |   Nitrogenates........................................| 157.2   143.1   145.3    36.9    1.5     -1.1     -.5     3.8   
06-52-02   |   Phosphates 2/.......................................| 113.8   107.9   110.6    10.7    2.5     -2.8     -.8     2.5   
06-53      |   Other agricultural chemicals 2/.....................| 148.3   148.5   148.5     -.1    0        -.6     0       0     
06-6       |   Plastic resins and materials........................| 153.2   147.9   145.3     6.5   -1.8     -1.1    -2.7    -1.2   
07-11-02   |   Synthetic rubber 2/.................................| 127.5   128.3   127.6     7.0    -.5       .6     -.3     -.5   
07-21      |   Plastic construction products ......................| 140.6   137.7   137.2    -2.3    -.4     -1.1    -1.5     -.2   
07-22      |   Unsupported plastic film, sheet, & other shapes 2/..| 146.8   144.7   145.3     6.5     .4      -.3     0        .4   
07-26      |   Plastic parts and components for manufacturing 2/...| 115.9   116.2   116.2      .1    0        -.1     -.2     0     
08-11      |   Softwood lumber.....................................| 163.7   171.6   171.7     -.2     .1       .6     4.6      .4   
08-12      |   Hardwood lumber ....................................| 187.1   191.5   192.1     7.6     .3      1.1      .7      .3   
08-2       |   Millwork............................................| 180.8   182.3   182.3     1.1    0         .1      .4      .1   
08-3       |   Plywood 2/..........................................| 145.6   162.1   165.1     8.3    1.9      2.4     8.8     1.9   
09-11      |   Woodpulp 2/.........................................| 119.8   124.7   123.5     4.3   -1.0     -1.3    -1.0    -1.0   
09-13      |   Paper 2/............................................| 146.5   146.9   146.4     1.5    -.3       .1     0       -.3   
09-14      |   Paperboard 2/.......................................| 163.5   162.4   162.4    -2.1    0        -.4     -.4     0     
09-15-03   |   Paper boxes and containers 2/.......................| 173.2   172.7   172.6      .5    -.1      -.5     -.1     -.1   
09-2       |   Building paper and board 2/.........................| 139.1   164.3   169.2    28.0    3.0      3.1    12.5     3.0   
09-37      |   Commercial printing (June 1982=100) 2/..............| 158.4   158.0   158.6      .9     .4       .1     -.3      .4   
10-15      |   Foundry and forge shop products.....................| 136.9   137.4   137.5      .5     .1       .2      .3     0     
10-17      |   Steel mill products.................................| 109.6   107.9   108.6     1.2     .6      -.6    -1.3      .6   
10-22      |   Primary nonferrous metals 2/........................|  99.8   103.1   105.1     7.5    1.9      -.1      .1     1.9   
10-25-01   |   Aluminum mill shapes 2/.............................| 143.6   143.6   143.5      .6    -.1      1.3    -1.2     -.1   
10-25-02   |   Copper and brass mill shapes 2/.....................| 147.9   152.2   153.5     4.9     .9      2.0     1.1      .9   
10-26      |   Nonferrous wire and cable 2/........................| 132.3   134.9   135.2     1.6     .2      1.3     -.7      .2   
10-3       |   Metal containers 2/.................................| 109.1   109.1   109.1     1.4    0        0       0       0     
10-4       |   Hardware 2/.........................................| 156.2   156.3   156.1      .2    -.1       .3      .1     -.1   
10-5       |   Plumbing fixtures and brass fittings................| 183.1   183.5   184.1      .8     .3      0       -.1      .3   
10-6       |   Heating equipment 2/................................| 163.3   163.3   163.4     3.3     .1      0       0        .1   
10-7       |   Fabricated structural metal products 2/.............| 145.4   145.3   145.5     -.2     .1       .1     -.1      .1   
10-88      |   Fabricated ferrous wire products (June 1982=100) 2/.| 131.4   130.9   132.5     1.8    1.2       .4      .4     1.2   
10-89      |   Other misc. metal products 2/.......................| 127.5   127.4   127.6      .7     .2      -.1      .1      .2   
11-45      |   Mechanical power transmission equipment.............| 171.3   170.6   170.6      .6    0         .1     -.5      .1   
11-48      |   Air conditioning and refrigeration equipment 2/.....| 137.4   137.0   136.9     -.4    -.1      -.1     -.2     -.1   
11-49-02   |   Metal valves, ex.fluid power (Dec. 1982=100)........| 169.0   169.9   169.7     1.4    -.1       .2      .4     -.1   
11-49-05   |   Ball and roller bearings............................| 171.4   171.7   171.3      .6    -.2       .1     -.2     -.2   
11-71      |   Wiring devices 2/...................................| 152.9   153.4   153.5    -1.1     .1       .2      .1      .1   
11-73      |   Motors, generators, motor generator sets............| 147.4   147.3   147.2      .2    -.1       .1     -.1     0     
11-75      |   Switchgear, switchboard, etc., equipment 2/.........| 159.8   159.1   159.3     1.3     .1       .3     -.1      .1   
11-78      |   Electronic components and accessories 2/............|  91.3    91.4    90.8    -1.6    -.7      -.7      .2     -.7   
11-94      |   Internal combustion engines.........................| 144.0   144.4   145.8     1.3    1.0      0        .2     1.2   
11-95      |   Machine shop products 2/............................| 140.4   140.6   140.6      .5    0        0        .1     0     
13-11      |   Flat glass 2/.......................................| 111.3   111.2   111.2     -.4    0        -.1      .1     0     
13-22      |   Cement..............................................| 152.2   152.6   152.2    -1.3    -.3      0       0       -.3   
13-3       |   Concrete products...................................| 153.6   153.4   153.5      .7     .1      -.2      .2      .2   
13-6       |   Asphalt felts and coatings..........................| 118.2   118.2   117.8     4.1    -.3      -.4    -1.1     -.3   
13-7       |   Gypsum products 2/..................................| 173.8   175.5   170.8      .4   -2.7     -3.9     5.3    -2.7   
13-8       |   Glass containers 2/.................................| 139.6   139.9   140.7     3.5     .6       .4     -.1      .6   
14-12      |   Motor vehicle parts 2/..............................| 111.7   111.7   111.6     -.8    -.1      -.1     0       -.1   
14-23      |   Aircraft engines & engine parts (Dec. 1985=100).....| 153.5   154.1   154.1     6.1    0         .1     1.0      .2   
14-25      |   Aircraft parts & aux.equip.,nec (June 1985=100).....| 150.7   149.4   149.5    -1.1     .1      0        .2      .2   
15-42      |   Photographic supplies 2/............................| 118.6   118.6   118.6     -.4    0        0       0       0     
15-6       |   Medical/surgical/personal aid devices 2/............| 154.6   154.5   154.5     2.4    0         .3      .1     0     
           |                                                       |                                                                 
           | CRUDE MATERIALS FOR FURTHER PROCESSING................| 128.0   133.0   131.4    20.9   -1.2      4.5    -2.9    -1.4   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
           |  CRUDE FOODSTUFFS AND FEEDSTUFFS......................| 107.0   107.4   111.5    11.8    3.8      -.5    -3.0     3.7   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
01-21      |   Wheat 2/............................................|  93.4    88.1    98.3    -7.4   11.6     -2.0   -10.3    11.6   
01-22-02-05|   Corn................................................|  97.1    86.1    88.8   -16.0    3.1      1.0   -13.4    -1.7   
01-31      |   Slaughter cattle 2/.................................| 116.2   110.8   117.6    23.5    6.1     -2.7    -3.0     6.1   
01-32      |   Slaughter hogs......................................|  58.7    74.8    73.0    33.9   -2.4      9.5    -5.7     3.8   
01-41-02   |   Slaughter broilers/fryers...........................| 133.9   155.5   153.8    22.3   -1.1      2.9     5.0     2.4   
01-42      |   Slaughter turkeys...................................| 101.6    95.7    91.6   -17.1   -4.3     -3.1    -6.5    -7.3   
01-6       |   Fluid milk..........................................|  82.9    88.4    97.4    14.5   10.2     -2.3     4.1     6.9   
01-83-01-31|   Soybeans 2/.........................................| 105.5   102.0    96.6    -3.8   -5.3     -1.5    -5.6    -5.3   
02-52-01-01|   Cane sugar,raw 2/...................................| 116.0   114.7   114.2     3.5    -.4      -.5     -.9     -.4   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
           |  CRUDE NONFOOD MATERIALS..............................| 140.6   149.1   142.9    27.5   -4.2      7.7    -2.9    -4.2   
           |                                                       |                                                                 
01-51-01-01|   Raw cotton 2/.......................................|  89.8    92.1    85.0    28.8   -7.7      1.3    10.2    -7.7   
01-92-01-01|   Leaf tobacco 2/.....................................|  72.0     (3)   105.2     -.8    (3)      (3)     (3)     (3)   
04-19      |   Hides and skins (June 2001=100) 2/..................|  86.2    81.0    85.9     1.5    6.0     -3.0     0       6.0   
05-1       |   Coal 2/.............................................| 101.7    97.6    98.9      .8    1.3      1.5    -3.0     1.3   
05-31      |   Natural gas 2/......................................| 201.9   225.7   196.2    70.8  -13.1     11.8    -6.2   -13.1   
05-61      |   Crude petroleum 2/..................................|  76.1    82.3    83.5    14.7    1.5     12.3     -.7     1.5   
08-5       |   Logs, timber, etc...................................| 179.9   178.5   180.1      .1     .9      -.9      .3     1.6   
09-12      |   Wastepaper 2/.......................................| 203.0   195.6   196.4    -4.0     .4      0      -3.5      .4   
10-11      |   Iron ore 2/.........................................|  95.3    96.1    96.5     1.6     .4      -.1      .9      .4   
10-12      |   Iron and steel scrap................................| 174.8   168.6   185.6    19.9   10.1     -2.5     3.1     8.8   
10-21      |   Nonferrous metal ores (Dec. 1983=100) 2/............|  69.3    74.9    77.2    12.2    3.1      7.2    -1.2     3.1   
10-23-01   |   Copper base scrap 2/................................| 121.1   123.1   127.0    16.4    3.2      4.6     -.7     3.2   
10-23-02   |   Aluminum base scrap.................................| 167.7   166.2   167.1     6.8     .5      1.0     1.1     2.0   
13-21      |   Construction sand, gravel, and crushed stone........| 176.7   177.3   177.4     2.2     .1       .5     -.1      .2   
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
                                                                                                                                     
1/  The indexes for April 2003 have been recalculated to incorporate                 2/  Not seasonally adjusted.                    
    late reports and corrections by respondents.  All indexes are subject            3/  Not available.                              
    to revision 4 months after original publication.


                                                                                 


Table 3.  Producer price indexes for selected commodity groupings                              
(1982=100 unless otherwise indicated)                                                          
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
         |                                                |                                   |
         |                                                |         Unadjusted index 1/       |
Commodity|                                                |___________________________________|
  code   |                    Grouping                    |April 2003 | July 2003 | Aug. 2003 |
_________|________________________________________________|___________|___________|___________|
         |                                                |           |           |           |
         | Finished Goods (1967=100)......................|   398.9   |   401.4   |   402.8   |
         | All commodities................................|   136.8   |   137.8   |   138.0   |
         |                                                |           |           |           |
         |                                                |           |           |           |
         |            MAJOR COMMODITY GROUPS              |           |           |           |
         |                                                |           |           |           |
         | Farm products and processed foods and feeds....|   129.0   |   130.7   |   132.6   |
01       |   Farm products................................|   105.6   |   104.6   |   109.0   |
02       |   Processed foods and feeds....................|   140.7   |   142.9   |   143.5   |
         |                                                |           |           |           |
         | Industrial commodities.........................|   138.2   |   139.2   |   139.1   |
03       |   Textile products and apparel.................|   119.7   |   119.3   |   119.6   |
04       |   Hides, skins, leather, and related products..|   162.8   |   160.6   |   162.2   |
05       |   Fuels and related products and power.........|   110.0   |   114.1   |   113.2   |
06       |   Chemicals and allied products 2/.............|   162.2   |   161.3   |   161.7   |
07       |   Rubber and plastic products..................|   130.9   |   130.7   |   130.7   |
08       |   Lumber and wood products.....................|   172.9   |   177.0   |   177.6   |
09       |   Pulp, paper, and allied products.............|   189.6   |   190.1   |   190.5   |
10       |   Metals and metal products....................|   128.2   |   128.3   |   129.2   |
11       |   Machinery and equipment......................|   122.1   |   122.4   |   122.1   |
12       |   Furniture and household durables.............|   133.8   |   134.0   |   133.8   |
13       |   Nonmetallic mineral products.................|   148.5   |   148.4   |   148.3   |
14       |   Transportation equipment.....................|   144.9   |   144.1   |   144.4   |
15       |   Miscellaneous products.......................|   179.1   |   179.3   |   179.6   |
         |                                                |           |           |           |
         | Industrial commodities less fuels and related  |           |           |           |
         |   products and power...........................|   144.8   |   144.8   |   145.0   |
         |                                                |           |           |           |
         |                                                |           |           |           |
         |             OTHER COMMODITY GROUPINGS          |           |           |           |
         |                                                |           |           |           |
01-1     | Fruits and melons, fresh and dry vegetables,   |           |           |           |
         |   and tree nuts................................|   114.3   |   103.4   |   108.7   |
01-2     | Grains.........................................|    96.8   |    87.9   |    92.2   |
01-3     | Slaughter livestock............................|   101.4   |   101.8   |   106.2   |
01-4     | Slaughter poultry..............................|   125.7   |   141.6   |   139.4   |
01-5     | Plant and animal fibers........................|    91.0   |    93.1   |    86.1   |
01-7     | Chicken eggs...................................|   114.8   |   121.3   |   146.7   |
01-8     | Hay, hayseeds, and oilseeds....................|   129.4   |   124.8   |   119.2   |
01-83    | Oilseeds.......................................|   116.6   |   112.4   |   106.7   |
01-9     | Other farm products............................|   107.4   |    (3)    |   156.9   |
02-1     | Cereal and bakery products.....................|   170.1   |   170.9   |   171.2   |
02-2     | Meats, poultry, and fish.......................|   126.6   |   130.1   |   131.1   |
02-22    | Processed poultry..............................|   113.1   |   117.7   |   118.0   |
02-5     | Sugar and confectionery........................|   148.7   |   149.0   |   149.0   |
02-6     | Beverages and beverage materials...............|   150.2   |   150.0   |   149.7   |
02-63    | Packaged beverage materials....................|   129.4   |   129.1   |   129.2   |
02-7     | Fats and oils..................................|   146.3   |   154.0   |   154.6   |
03-81    | Apparel........................................|   125.8   |   124.6   |   124.9   |
04-4     | Other leather and related products.............|   148.2   |   148.4   |   148.7   |
05-3     | Gas fuels......................................|   184.7   |   203.0   |   180.7   |
05-4     | Electric power.................................|   137.8   |   145.8   |   146.7   |
05-7     | Refined petroleum products.....................|    95.7   |    94.9   |    99.9   |
06-3     | Drugs and pharmaceuticals......................|   273.2   |   274.9   |   275.7   |
06-5     | Agricultural chemicals and products............|   138.4   |   133.9   |   135.2   |
06-7     | Other chemicals and allied products............|   141.0   |   141.5   |   141.3   |
07-1     | Rubber and rubber products.....................|   119.4   |   119.8   |   119.8   |
07-11    | Rubber, except natural rubber..................|   126.8   |   127.7   |   127.0   |
07-13    | Miscellaneous rubber products..................|   141.1   |   141.2   |   141.4   |
07-2     | Plastic products...............................|   139.5   |   139.0   |   139.0   |
08-1     | Lumber.........................................|   169.3   |   175.7   |   176.1   |
09-1     | Pulp, paper, and products, excluding building  |           |           |           |
         |   paper and board..............................|   157.5   |   157.4   |   157.3   |
09-15    | Converted paper and paperboard products........|   165.6   |   165.4   |   165.3   |
10-1     | Iron and steel.................................|   120.7   |   119.1   |   121.2   |
10-2     | Nonferrous metals..............................|   120.9   |   122.8   |   123.8   |
10-25    | Nonferrous mill shapes.........................|   136.7   |   137.5   |   137.7   |
11-3     | Metalworking machinery and equipment...........|   150.1   |   150.4   |   150.3   |
11-4     | General purpose machinery and equipment........|   155.5   |   155.7   |   155.7   |
11-6     | Special industry machinery.....................|   165.9   |   168.7   |   169.4   |
11-7     | Electrical machinery and equipment.............|   115.2   |   115.3   |   114.7   |
11-9     | Miscellaneous machinery and equipment..........|   137.0   |   137.6   |   137.8   |
12-6     | Other household durable goods..................|   158.5   |   159.1   |   158.2   |
13-2     | Concrete ingredients...........................|   164.7   |   165.2   |   165.1   |
14-1     | Motor vehicles and equipment...................|   128.9   |   127.3   |   127.5   |
15-1     | Toys, sporting goods, small arms, etc..........|   133.5   |   133.1   |   132.6   |
15-4     | Photographic equipment and supplies............|   105.3   |   105.3   |   105.3   |
15-9     | Other miscellaneous products...................|   140.2   |   140.9   |   140.8   |
__________________________________________________________|___________|___________|___________|
                                                                                               
1/  Data for April 2003 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and      
    corrections by respondents.  All data are subject to revision 4 months after original      
    publication.                                                                               
2/  Prices of some items in this grouping are lagged 1 month.
3/  Not available.


Table 4.  Producer price indexes for the net output of major industry groups, not seasonally adjusted               
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                  |                                              |     |         Index         |  Percent change    
  Industry        |                Industry 1/                   |Index|_______________________|to_Aug._2003_from:__
    code          |                                              |base |       |       |       |        |           
                  |                                              |     |Apr.   |July   |Aug.   |  Aug.  |  July     
                  |                                              |     |2003 2/|2003 2/|2003 2/|  2002  |  2003     
__________________|______________________________________________|_____|_______|_______|_______|________|___________
                  |                                              |     |                                            
                  |Total mining industries...................... |12/84| 124.5   133.2   125.2     30.6     -6.0    
       10         | Metal mining................................ |12/84|  73.9    78.7    80.6     10.1      2.4    
       12         | Coal mining................................. |12/85|  94.8    93.4    94.0       .6       .6    
       13         | Oil and gas extraction...................... |12/85| 150.2   163.6   150.7     42.2     -7.9    
       14         | Mining and quarrying of non-metallic         |     |                                            
                  |  minerals, except fuels..................... |12/84| 146.3   146.7   146.7      2.2    0        
                  |                                              |     |                                            
                  |Total manufacturing industries............... |12/84| 136.3   136.5   137.0      2.5       .4    
       20         | Food and kindred products................... |12/84| 135.1   137.2   137.7      4.9       .4    
       21         | Tobacco manufactures........................ |12/84| 375.5   376.3   376.3     -7.9    0        
       22         | Textile mill products....................... |12/84| 115.2   115.4   115.7       .2       .3    
       23         | Apparel and other finished products made     |     |                                            
                  |  from fabrics and similar materials......... |12/84| 124.9   124.9   124.9      -.3    0        
       24         | Lumber and wood products, except furniture.. |12/84| 156.0   160.3   160.9      3.2       .4    
       25         | Furniture and fixtures...................... |12/84| 147.3   147.5   147.5       .6    0        
       26         | Paper and allied products................... |12/84| 145.1   144.8   144.7       .8      -.1    
       27         | Printing, publishing, and allied industries. |12/84| 197.0   197.2   197.8      2.4       .3    
       28         | Chemicals and allied products............... |12/84| 166.7   164.9   164.5      3.7      -.2    
       29         | Petroleum refining and related products..... |12/84| 118.7   118.1   124.0     20.2      5.0    
       30         | Rubber and miscellaneous plastic products... |12/84| 129.1   128.8   128.8      2.3    0        
       31         | Leather and leather products................ |12/84| 142.7   142.4   142.5       .4       .1    
       32         | Stone, clay, glass, and concrete products... |12/84| 138.1   138.2   138.0       .4      -.1    
       33         | Primary metal industries.................... |12/84| 117.8   117.6   118.1       .9       .4    
       34         | Fabricated metal products, except machinery  |     |                                            
                  |  and transportation equipment............... |12/84| 132.7   132.9   132.9       .7    0        
       35         | Machinery, except electrical................ |12/84| 116.1   116.1   116.0      -.7      -.1    
       36         | Electrical and electronic machinery,         |     |                                            
                  |  equipment, and supplies.................... |12/84| 104.0   103.7   102.5     -2.8     -1.2    
       37         | Transportation equipment.................... |12/84| 137.5   136.6   137.0      1.5       .3    
       38         | Measuring and controlling instruments;       |     |                                            
                  |  photographic, medical, optical goods;       |     |                                            
                  |  watches, clocks............................ |12/84| 129.9   130.0   130.0      1.2    0        
       39         | Miscellaneous manufacturing industries...... |12/85| 133.9   134.3   134.3       .7    0        
                  |                                              |     |
                  |Services industries                           |     |                                            
       40         | Railroad transportation..................... |12/96| 109.1   108.3   108.3      1.6    0        
       42         | Motor freight transportation and warehousing |06/93| 127.4   127.8   128.3      2.6       .4    
       43         | United States Postal Service................ |06/89| 155.0   155.0   155.0    0        0        
       44         | Water transportation........................ |12/92| 139.9   151.1   151.1     11.7    0        
       45         | Transportation by air....................... |12/92| 162.2   163.3   162.9      3.1      -.2    
       46         | Pipelines, except natural gas............... |12/86| 111.6   111.9   111.9      -.5    0        
       48         | Communications.............................. |06/01|  97.4    97.2    97.4      -.3       .2    
       54         | Food stores................................. |12/99| 118.7   119.6   117.6      4.0     -1.7    
       55         | Automotive dealers and gasoline service      |     |                                            
                  |  stations................................... |12/01|  94.6    88.6    89.4     -4.2       .9    
       59         | Miscellaneous retail........................ |06/00| 106.6   103.8   105.8      2.6      1.9    
       80         | Health services............................. |12/94| 123.3   124.3   124.5      3.9       .2    
       81         | Legal services.............................. |12/96| 125.2   125.4   125.4      2.4    0        
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1/ Indexes in this table are derived from the net-output-weighted industry price indexes.  Because of differences
   in coverage and aggregation methodology, they will generally not match movements of similarly titled indexes
   derived from traditional commodity groupings.                              
2/ The indexes for April 2003 have been recalculated to incorporate late reports and corrections by respondents.
   All indexes are subject to revision 4 months after original publication.                                         
3/ Not available.
                                                                                                                    
Note: NAICS 2002 replaces the SIC classification system beginning with the release of PPI data for January 2004.
See http://www.bls.gov/ppi/ppinaics.htm for details.

                   
Table 5.  Producer price indexes by stage of processing, seasonally adjusted
(1982=100)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                       |                                                     
                                                       |                      Index 1/                       
                                                       |_____________________________________________________
               Grouping                                |        |        |        |        |        |        
                                                       |  Mar.  |  Apr.  |  May   |  June  |  July  |  Aug.  
                                                       |  2003  |  2003  |  2003  |  2003  |  2003  |  2003  
_______________________________________________________|________|________|________|________|________|________
                                                       |                                                     
      Finished goods...................................|  144.8    142.4    141.9    142.6    142.8    143.4 
        Finished consumer goods........................|  147.2    144.2    143.3    144.4    144.5    145.3 
          Finished consumer foods......................|  143.2    144.4    144.4    145.0    144.7    145.7 
            Crude......................................|  124.1    135.4    133.1    122.1    123.3    130.2 
            Processed..................................|  144.8    145.1    145.3    146.9    146.5    147.0 
          Finished consumer goods, excluding foods.....|  148.4    143.8    142.6    143.9    144.1    144.8 
            Nondurable goods less foods................|  153.2    147.4    145.5    147.6    147.9    148.7 
            Durable goods..............................|  134.3    132.3    132.7    132.2    132.5    132.7 
        Capital equipment..............................|  139.8    139.0    139.4    139.2    139.7    139.8 
          Manufacturing industries.....................|  139.8    139.6    139.8    139.8    140.4    140.6 
          Nonmanufacturing industries..................|  139.8    138.7    139.2    138.9    139.3    139.5 
                                                       |                                                     
      Intermediate materials, supplies, and components.|  136.6    133.4    132.5    133.1    133.3    134.0 
        Materials and components for manufacturing.....|  130.1    129.3    129.1    129.5    129.3    130.0 
          Materials for food manufacturing.............|  129.4    129.9    130.7    134.1    133.1    134.8 
          Materials for nondurable manufacturing.......|  140.0    137.4    136.4    136.9    136.5    138.0 
          Materials for durable manufacturing..........|  127.0    126.7    126.8    127.2    127.0    127.7 
          Components for manufacturing.................|  125.9    126.0    126.1    125.9    126.0    125.9 
        Materials and components for construction......|  152.4    152.8    152.7    152.8    153.3    153.5 
        Processed fuels and lubricants.................|  126.7    112.9    108.3    110.6    111.6    113.8 
          Manufacturing industries ....................|  125.1    117.6    113.4    115.7    117.4    119.5 
          Nonmanufacturing industries..................|  127.7    109.9    105.2    107.5    108.0    110.2 
        Containers.....................................|  153.8    154.0    154.2    153.9    153.7    153.6 
        Supplies.......................................|  141.2    141.3    141.5    141.4    141.6    141.4 
          Manufacturing industries.....................|  146.4    146.8    146.9    146.8    146.9    146.9 
          Nonmanufacturing industries..................|  138.7    138.7    138.9    138.9    139.1    138.8 
            Feeds......................................|  102.9    102.2    104.2    104.3    104.7    101.8 
            Other supplies.............................|  143.1    143.2    143.3    143.2    143.4    143.3 
                                                       |                                                     
      Crude materials for further processing...........|  152.4    128.3    130.2    136.1    132.1    130.3 
        Foodstuffs and feedstuffs......................|  106.3    107.6    109.4    108.9    105.6    109.5 
        Nonfood materials..............................|  184.4    140.5    142.4    153.4    148.9    142.6 
          Nonfood materials except fuel 2/.............|  121.8    110.4    107.8    113.4    113.5    116.6 
            Manufacturing 2/...........................|  112.1    101.4     99.0    104.2    104.3    107.2 
            Construction...............................|  180.8    179.6    179.1    178.4    177.9    179.7 
          Crude fuel 3/................................|  271.5    176.9    186.2    205.4    193.4    171.8 
            Manufacturing industries...................|  255.4    168.4    176.8    194.6    183.4    163.6 
            Nonmanufacturing industries................|  277.9    180.9    190.4    210.1    197.8    175.7 
                                                       |                                                     
                     Special groupings                 |                                                     
                                                       |                                                     
      Finished goods, excluding foods..................|  144.9    141.6    141.0    141.7    142.1    142.6 
      Intermediate materials less foods and feeds......|  137.4    134.1    133.0    133.6    133.8    134.6 
      Intermediate foods and feeds.....................|  121.3    121.4    122.6    124.9    124.4    124.6 
      Crude materials less agricultural products 2/....|  188.5    142.9    145.0    156.5    151.6    144.7 
                                                       |                                                     
      Finished energy goods............................|  109.8    100.9     97.9    101.2    101.5    102.7 
      Finished goods less energy.......................|  148.6    148.2    148.4    148.4    148.6    149.0 
      Finished consumer goods less energy..............|  152.4    152.2    152.3    152.4    152.4    152.9 
                                                       |                                                     
      Finished goods less foods and energy.............|  150.9    149.9    150.2    150.0    150.3    150.5 
      Finished consumer goods less foods and energy....|  158.4    157.2    157.4    157.2    157.4    157.6 
      Consumer nondurable goods less foods and energy..|  177.6    177.4    177.3    177.4    177.5    177.7 
                                                       |                                                     
      Intermediate energy goods........................|  126.0    112.2    107.4    109.6    111.0    113.7 
      Intermediate materials less energy...............|  137.6    137.3    137.3    137.5    137.4    137.6 
      Intermediate materials less foods and energy.....|  138.7    138.4    138.4    138.4    138.3    138.5 
                                                       |                                                     
      Crude energy materials 2/........................|  200.2    138.8    142.6    157.9    151.0    139.9 
      Crude materials less energy......................|  116.9    117.4    118.0    117.8    115.7    120.0 
      Crude nonfood materials less energy 3/...........|  148.1    146.4    143.6    144.5    145.6    151.0 
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                                                             
  1/  All seasonally adjusted indexes are subject to change up to 5 years after original publication due to  
      the recalculation of seasonal factors each January.  The indexes for April 2003 have been recalculated 
      to incorporate late reports and corrections by respondents.                                            
  2/  Includes crude petroleum.                                                                              
  3/  Excludes crude petroleum.                                                                              


Technical Note


                Brief Explanation of Producer Price Indexes

     The term Producer Price Index (PPI) refers to a family of indexes that
measure the average change over time in the selling prices received by
domestic producers of goods and services.  PPIs measure price change from
the perspective of the seller.  This contrasts with other measures, such as
the Consumer Price Index (CPI); CPIs measure price change from the
purchaser's perspective.  Sellers' and purchasers' prices may differ due to
government subsidies, sales and excise taxes, and distribution costs.

     More than 10,000 PPIs for individual products and groups of products
are released each month.  PPIs are available for the products of virtually
every industry in the mining and manufacturing sectors of the U.S. economy.
New PPIs are gradually being introduced for the products of industries in
the transportation, utilities, trade, finance, and services sectors of the
economy.

     More than 100,000 price quotations per month are organized into three
sets of producer price indexes: (1) stage-of-processing indexes; (2)
commodity indexes; and (3) indexes for the net output of industries and
their products.  The stage-of-processing structure (tables 1, 2, and 5)
organizes products by class of buyer and degree of fabrication.  The
commodity structure (tables 2 and 3) organizes products by similarity of
end-use or material composition.  The entire output of various industries
is sampled to derive price indexes for the net output of industries and
their products (table 4).

     Within the stage-of-processing system, finished goods are commodities
that will not undergo further processing and are ready for sale to the
final demand user, either an individual consumer or business firm.
Consumer foods include unprocessed foods such as eggs and fresh vegetables,
as well as processed foods such as bakery products and meats.  Other
finished consumer goods include durable goods such as automobiles,
household furniture, and appliances; and nondurable goods such as apparel
and home heating oil.  Capital equipment includes producer durable goods
such as heavy motor trucks, tractors, and machine tools.

     The stage-of-processing category for intermediate materials, supplies,
and components consists partly of commodities that have been processed but
require further processing.  Examples of such semifinished goods include
flour, cotton yarn, steel mill products, and lumber.  The intermediate
goods category also encompasses nondurable physically complete items
purchased by business firms as inputs for their operations.  Examples
include diesel fuel, belts and belting, paper boxes, and fertilizers.

     Crude materials for further processing are products entering the
market for the first time that have not been manufactured or fabricated and
that are not sold directly to consumers.  Crude foodstuffs and feedstuffs
include items such as grains and livestock.  Examples of crude nonfood
materials include raw cotton, crude petroleum, coal, hides and skins, and
iron and steel scrap.

     Producer price indexes for the net output of industries and their
products are grouped according to the Standard Industrial Classification
(SIC).  Industry price indexes are compatible with other economic time
series organized by SIC codes, such as data on employment, wages, and
productivity.  Table 4 lists indexes for the net output of major mining and
manufacturing industry groups at the 2-digit level.

     Producer price indexes are based on selling prices reported by
establishments of all sizes selected by probability sampling, with the
probability of selection proportionate to size.  Individual items and
transaction terms from these firms are also chosen by probability
proportionate to size.  BLS strongly encourages cooperating companies to
supply actual transaction prices at the time of shipment to minimize the
use of list prices.  Prices are normally reported by mail questionnaire for
the Tuesday of the week containing the 13th.

    Price data are provided on a voluntary and confidential basis; no one
but sworn BLS employees are allowed access to individual company price
reports.  The Bureau publishes price indexes instead of unit dollar prices.
All producer price indexes are routinely subject to revision once, 4 months
after original publication, to reflect the availability of late reports and
corrections by respondents.

    The BLS periodically updates the PPI sample of survey respondents to
better reflect current conditions when the structure, membership,
technology, or product mix of an industry shifts significantly and to
spread reporting burden among smaller firms.  Results of these resampling
efforts are incorporated into the PPI every January and July.

    As part of an ongoing effort to expand coverage to sectors of the
economy other than mining and manufacturing, an increasing number of
service sector industries have been introduced into the PPI.  The following
list of recently introduced service industries includes the month in which
an article describing the industry's content appeared in the PPI Detailed
Report:

                                           PPI
                                        Detailed
             Industry                                    SIC   Report
                                                               Issue
                                                 
Wireless Telecommunications............................. 4812  July 1999
Telephone Communications, Except Radio Telephone........ 4813  July 1995
Television Broadcasting................................. 4833  July 2002
Grocery Stores.......................................... 5411  July 2000
Meat and Fish (Seafood) Markets......................... 5421  July 2000
Fruit and Vegetable Markets............................. 5431  July 2000
Candy, Nut, and Confectionery Stores.................... 5441  July 2000
Retail Bakeries......................................... 5461  July 2000
Miscellaneous Food Stores............................... 5499  July 2000
New Car Dealers......................................... 5511  July 2000
Gasoline Service Stations............................... 5541  January 2002
Boat Dealers............................................ 5551  January 2002
Recreational Vehicle Dealers............................ 5561  January 2002
Miscellaneous Retail.................................... 59    January 2001
Security Brokers, Dealers, and Investment Bankers....... 6211  January 2001
Investment Advice....................................... 6282  January 2003
Life Insurance Carriers................................. 6311  January 1999
Property and Casualty Insurance......................... 6331  July 1998
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages....................... 6412  January 2003
Operators and Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings....... 6512  January 1996
Real Estate Agents and Managers......................... 6531  January 1996
Prepackaged Software.................................... 7372  January 1998
Data Processing Services................................ 7374  January 2002
Home Health Care Services............................... 8082  January 1997
Legal Services.......................................... 8111  January 1997
Engineering Design, Analysis, and Consulting Services... 8711  January 1997
Architectural Design, Analysis, and Consulting Services. 8712  January 1997
Premiums for Property and Casualty Insurance............ 9331  July 1998

     Weights for most traditional commodity groupings of the PPI, as well
as all indexes (such as stage-of-processing indexes) calculated from
traditional commodity groupings, currently reflect 1992 values of shipments
as reported in the Census of Manufactures and other sources.  From January
1992 through December 1995, PPI weights were derived from 1987 shipment
values.  Industry indexes shown in table 4 are also now calculated with
1992 net output weights.  This periodic update of the value weights used to
calculate the PPI is done to more accurately reflect changes in production
and marketing patterns in the economy.

     Net output values of shipments are used as weights for industry
indexes. Net output values refer to the value of shipments from
establishments in one industry to establishments classified in another
industry.  However, weights for commodity price indexes are based on gross
shipment values, including shipment values between establishments within
the same industry. As a result, broad commodity grouping indexes such as
the all commodities index are affected by the multiple counting of price
change at successive stages of processing, which can lead to exaggerated or
misleading signals about inflation.  Stage-of-processing indexes partially
correct this defect, but industry indexes consistently correct for this at
all levels of aggregation.  Therefore, industry and stage-of-processing
indexes are more appropriate than broad commodity groupings for economic
analysis of general price trends.

     Effective with publication of January 1988 data, many important PPI
series (including stage-of-processing groupings and most commodity groups
and individual items) were placed on a new reference base, 1982=100.  From
1971 through 1987, the standard reference base for most PPI series was
1967=100. Except for rounding differences, the shift to the new reference
base did not alter any changes to previously published percent changes for
affected PPI series. (See "Calculating Index Changes," below.) The new
reference base is not used for indexes with a base later than December
1981, nor for indexes for the net output of industries and their products.

     For further information on the underlying concepts and methodology of
the Producer Price Index, see chapter 14, "Producer Prices," in BLS
Handbook of Methods (April 1997), Bulletin 2490. Reprints are available
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on request.

                         Calculating Index Changes

     Each index measures price changes from a reference period which equals
100.0 (1982 or some later month). An increase of 5.5 percent from the
reference period in the Finished Goods Price Index, for example, is shown
as 105.5.  This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows:
"Prices received by domestic producers of a systematic sample of finished
goods have risen from $100 in 1982 to $105.50 today." Likewise, a current
index of 90.0 would indicate that prices received by producers of finished
goods today are 10 percent lower than they were in 1982.

    Movements of price indexes from one month to another are usually
expressed as percent changes rather than as changes in index points because
index point changes are affected by the level of the index in relation to
its base period, whereas percent changes are not.  The example below shows
the computation of index point and percent changes.

     Index point change

     Finished Goods Price Index              107.5
     Less previous index                     104.0
     Equals index point change                 3.5

     Index percent change

     Index point change                        3.5
     Divided by the previous index           104.0
     Equals                                  0.034
     Result multiplied by 100          0.034 x 100
     Equals percent change                     3.4



                  Seasonally Adjusted and Unadjusted Data

     Because price data are used for different purposes by different
groups, the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes seasonally adjusted and
unadjusted changes each month.  Seasonally adjusted data are preferred for
analyzing general price trends in the economy because they eliminate the
effect of changes that normally occur at about the same time and in about
the same magnitude every year--such as price movements resulting from
normal weather patterns, regular production and marketing cycles, model
changeovers, seasonal discounts, and holidays.  For these reasons,
seasonally adjusted data more clearly reveal underlying cyclical trends.

     Unadjusted data are of primary interest to users who need information
that can be related to actual dollar values of transactions.  Individuals
requiring this information include marketing specialists, purchasing
agents, budget and cost analysts, contract specialists, and commodity
traders.  It is the unadjusted data that are generally cited in escalating
long-term contracts such as purchasing agreements or real estate leases.
(See Escalation and Producer Price Indexes:  A Guide for Contracting
Parties, BLS Report 807, September 1991, available on request from BLS.)

     For more information, see (1) "Appendix A: Seasonal Adjustment
Methodology at BLS," in the BLS Handbook of Methods (April 1997), Bulletin
2490 and (2) "Summary of  Changes to the PPI's  Seasonal Adjustment
Methodology" in the January 1995 issue of Producer Price Indexes.