Visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics Web Site,

www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.toc.htm (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.toc.htm). Select Consumer Price Index Summary.

Please note that using the data from previously published releases and summaries will produce grade zero for this part of the project.

Answer the questions:

1. What month (and year) is summarized? What was CPIU for that month?
2. What was the rate of inflation (percentage change in the CPIU) for the month? How does that rate of inflation compare with the rate in the previous month?
3. Which two categories of goods or services had the greatest price increase for the month?
4. Which two categories of goods or services had the lowest price increase (or greatest price decrease) for the month?
5. Who loses from inflation?
6. Who benefits from inflation?
7. Please analyze and discuss the significance of the data that you received for this Data exercise. Reflect on what you have learned from this exercise.