AGC: PPI jumps in June, falls from a year ago; wind, solar projects stall

The producer price index for finished goods jumped 1.8 percentin June, seasonally adjusted (1.9 percent, not seasonally adjusted), but was still down 4.6 percent from the June 2008 level, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported [July 14]. The PPI for inputs to construction industries, a weighted average of materials used in all types of construction plus items consumed by contractors (such as diesel fuel) rose 1.0 percent for the month, not seasonally adjusted, but dropped 6.0 percent over 12 months. Diesel, which soared 15 percent for the month but plunged 55 percent over 12 months, influenced the PPIs for various segments according to the relative importance of the fuel as an input, according to a July 14 Data DIGest report.

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