February Consumer Price Index unchanged

The Midwest's Consumer Price Index was unchanged in February from the previous month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced yesterday, but the all-items index is up 2.5 percent from February 2009.
Three major expenditure categories – apparel, medical care and recreation – showed monthly price increases. Apparel prices typically increase in February with the introduction of spring and summer lines, according to a BLS news release. Prices for medical care are largely driven by care services, which comprise 75 percent of the index, the release said, and the recreation index includes admissions to movies, concerts and sporting events.
Transportation costs declined for the month, as prices for fuel fell 4.9 percent. Other Other sectors, including housing and food and beverages, were relatively unchanged in February, the release said, while energy prices, including motor and household fuel, decreased 2.6 percent for the month but remained 15.1 percent higher than in February 2009.