BLS Daily Report

[Richardson_D <Richardson_D@xxxxxxx>]

BLS DAILY REPORT, MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1999

__U.S. producer prices rose 0.2 percent in November, as the "core" producer
price index, which excludes petroleum and food prices, remained unchanged,
according to data released by BLS.  The nearly absent indication of inflated
prices paid to U.S. factories, refineries, and farms beat many analysts'
expectations. ...  (Daily Labor Report, page D-1).
__A continued rise in oil prices pushed the PPI up 0.2 percent last month
while the cost of other items, on average, was little changed. ...  (John M.
Berry in Washington Post, Dec. 11, page E1).
__Wholesale prices rose moderately last month, despite a sharp jump in
energy prices, further evidence that inflation pressures remain tame.  The
producer price index rose 0.2 percent in November compared with the previous
month.  But energy prices climbed 1.8 percent.  Food prices, meanwhile, rose
just 0.1 percent.  Overall producer prices jumped 2.7 percent, compared with
November 1998. ...  (Wall Street Journal, page A2).
__Wholesale prices edged up 0.2 percent in November, pushed by the biggest
jump in natural gas prices in 2 years.  Excluding volatile food and energy
prices, inflation pressures remained muted. ...  So far this year, wholesale
prices have been rising at an annual rate of 2.9 percent, compared with no
change for all of 1998 (New York Times, Dec. 11, page B3).

__The federal government, often criticized for poor services, has scored
nearly as high as private sector companies in a survey of "customer
satisfaction," says The Washington Post (page A1).  The first-ever
government-wide survey gave Uncle Sam a score of 68.6,  just below the
comparable private sector rating of 72.  The survey showed "customers" gave
the highest scores to federal agencies that provide a direct public service
or benefits, while the lowest scores were given to government regulators who
write rules, levy fines, and enforce laws.  The results also suggested that
some government agencies still have a way to go if they are to meet
Information Age expectations.  Agencies that tested reactions to their
Internet sites did not score exceptionally high, apparently because the
people surveyed found it difficult to click through the Web pages and find
the information they wanted.  The survey was sponsored by the global
accounting and consulting firm Arthur Anderson, the University of Michigan
Business School, and the American Society for Quality. ...
__The Clinton administration's 6-year effort to "reinvent government" hasn't
yet turned most citizens into satisfied customers, although some perceive
that government services are improving. ...  (Wall Street Journal, page A2).

__The Statistical Abstract -- the annual compendium from the United States
Census Bureau -- is being released today, says The New York Times (page
A17). Available in a book, on CD-ROM, and on the Internet, its 1,447 tables
of statistics should be enough to help schoolchildren with their
end-of-the-century homework assignments. ...

Less than 4 months from the start of the 2000 census on April 1, a General
Accounting Office report is warning that the Census Bureau's current plan
may produce a count that is less accurate than that of 1990.  The accounting
office, the investigative arm of Congress, singled out the Census Bureau's
decision not to send a second questionnaire to households that do not
respond to the first form that the agency mails as a reason for its
findings.  The agency also expressed concern that the tight labor market
might make it difficult for the Census Bureau to hire the large number of
temporary workers it will need. ...  (New York Times, page A22).

Technological advances and the Internet have helped the United States become
more energy efficient and may reduce emissions of greenhouse gases blamed
for global warming, according to a new report by a nonprofit group, the
Center for Energy and Climate Solutions.  In 1997 and 1998, the nation's
economy grew by about 4 percent a year, while the nation's energy
consumption grew barely at all, suggesting that information technology and
increasing use of the Internet are making the economy less dependent on
energy. ...  (Washington Post, Dec. 11, page E2).

DUE OUT TOMORROW:
   Consumer Price Index -- November 1999
   Real Earnings:  November 1999

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