Economic Data for Tuesday, May 16, 2000
CPI for April = unch.
Core rate = +0.2%
stats.bls.gov
On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U was unchanged in April, following an increase of 0.7 percent in March. The energy index, which rose 4.9 percent in March, declined 1.9 percent in April, registering its first decrease since last June. The index for petroleum-based energy fell 4.1 percent, while the index for energy services rose 0.5 percent. The food index rose 0.1 percent in April, the same as in March. Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U rose 0.2 percent in April, following an increase of 0.4 percent in March. Shelter costs, which increased 0.5 percent in March, rose 0.2 percent in April, accounting for more than half of the April deceleration in the index for all items less food and energy. Also contributing to the smaller rise in April was the deceleration in the indexes for airline fares, for apparel, and for household furnishings and operations.
Housing Starts for April = +2.8% to 1.66m units
census.gov
Privately owned housing starts in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,663,000, according to estimates reported today by the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of the Census. This is 3 (+/-6) percent above the revised March rate of 1,618,000 and 7 (+/-7) percent above the April 1999 rate of 1,561,000. |
