date:Aug 28, 2013
ant or falling incomes for many Americans, the U.S.D.A. said.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics keeps track of the C.P.I. in seven major consumer spending categories: food, apparel, transportation, medical care, education and recreation. From 1993 to 2005, inflation rates for the seven components have varied considerably, with the apparel C.P.I. falling by 11% while the medical care C.P.I. increased by 60%. Food-price inflation tracked the overall price inflation rate of 35% over the 12-year