The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent in May before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Over the last 12 months the index has fallen 1.3 percent. This is the largest decline since April 1950 and is due mainly to a 27.3 percent decline in the energy index.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U increased 0.1 percent in May after being unchanged in April. The index for energy, which had declined the previous two months, rose 0.2 percent in May as an increase in the gasoline index more than offset declines in other energy indexes. The food index decreased for the fourth consecutive month, falling 0.2 percent as the indexes for all major grocery store food groups declined.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in May following a 0.3 percent increase in April. The smaller increase was partly due to the tobacco and smoking products index, which turned down in May after rising sharply in March and April. In May, the indexes for shelter, new and used motor vehicles, and medical care posted increases, while the public transportation index fell 1.0 percent and the indexes for apparel and tobacco declined slightly. The index for all items less food and energy has increased 1.8 percent over the last 12 months.