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Food <br />The food index rose 0.1 percent in August as the index for food away from home rose 0.2 percent and <br />the food at home index was unchanged. The major grocery store food groups generally posted small <br />changes in August. The fruits and vegetables index was the only one to decline, falling 0.3 percent as the <br />index for fresh fruits declined 1.4 percent. <br />The index for nonalcoholic beverages rose 0.2 percent, and the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs <br />increased 0.1 percent, as did the index for daily and related products. The indexes for cereals and bakery <br />products and for other food at home were both unchanged in August. <br />The food at home index increased 0.5 percent over the past year. The index for meats, poultiy, fish, and <br />eggs rose 1.1 percent over the span; the remaining major grocery store food group indexes posted <br />smaller increases, except for the dai1y index, which was unchanged over the last 12 months. The index <br />for food away from home rose 2.6 percent over the last year. <br />Energy <br />The energy index rose 1.9 percent in August after declining in June and July. The gasoline index rose <br />3.0 percent in August after declining 0.6 percent in July. (Before seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices <br />decreased 0.3 percent in August.) The index for electricity rose 0.3 percent in August after falling in <br />June and July. The index for natural gas also turned up in August, rising 0.9 percent after falling in each <br />of the 5 prior months. <br />The energy index increased 10.2 percent over the past year. The indexes for gasoline and fuel oil rose <br />sharply, increasing 20.3 percent and 30.9 percent, respectively. The index for natural gas rose slightly <br />over the past 12 months, increasing 0.1 percent, while the electricity index declined 0.5 percent. <br />All items less food and energy <br />The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.1 percent in August. The shelter index rose 0.3 <br />percent in August, the same increase as in July. The rent index rose 0.4 percent and the index for owners' <br />equivalent rent advanced 0.3 percent. <br />The index for airline fares increased 2.4 percent in August following a 2.7-percent increase in July. The <br />index for used cars and tiucks also continued to rise, advancing 0.4 percent in August after a 1.3-percent <br />increase in July. The index for education also increased in August. <br />The apparel index declined in August, falling 1.6 percent, its third consecutive decline. The medical care <br />index declined in August, falling 0.2 percent, the same decrease as in July. The indexes for physicians' <br />services and hospital services both declined 0.1 percent, while the index for prescription drugs was <br />unchanged. The index for communication fell 0.2 percent in August, and the indexes for recreation and <br />for personal care both fell 0.1 percent. The indexes for new vehicles and for household furnishings and <br />operations were both unchanged in August. <br />The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.2 percent over the past 12 months. The shelter index <br />increased 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, and the medical care index rose 1.5 percent. The index for <br />new vehicles rose 0.3 percent over the span, while the indexes for apparel and for airline fares both <br />declined over the past 12 months. <br />-3 -