Retail Prices of Food in November 1946

RETAIL prices of food in November 1946 in relation to those in selected preceding periods are shown in the accompanying tables.

TABLE 1.-Percent of change in retail prices of food in 56 large cities combined, by commodity groups, in specified periods

1 The wage formulas apply to Jan. 1, 1941. Jan. 15, 1941, is the nearest date for which data on retail prices of individual foods have been computed.

The index now reflects fully the current level of prices for meats as well as the entire price change that occurred since mid-August 1946. Most meat prices in the intervening months were held unchanged from August levels for those cities where an adequate number of quotations was not obtained because of the severe meat shortage. In other cities prices for some meats were compared directly with the nearest preceding month for which a sufficient number of quotations were secured.

TABLE 2.—Indexes of retail prices of food in 56 large cities combined,1 by commodity groups, on specified dates

1 Aggregate costs of 61 foods in each city, weighted to represent total purchases by families of wage earners and lower-salaried workers, have been combined with the use of population weights.

The wage formulas apply to Jan. 1, 1941. Jan. 15, 1941, is the nearest date for which data on retail prices of individual foods have been computed.

The index now reflects fully the current level of prices for meats as well as the entire price change that occurred since mid-August 1946. Most meat prices in the intervening months were held unchanged from August levels for those cities where an adequate number of quotations was not obtained because of the severe meat shortage. In other cities prices for some meats were compared directly with the nearest preceding months for which a sufficient number of quotations were secured.

1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946

60

1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947

TABLE 3.—Average retail prices of 70 foods in 56 large cities combined, November 1946, compared with earlier months

TABLE 3.-Average retail prices of 70 foods in 56 large cities combined, November 1946, compared with earlier months-Continued

1 The wage formulas apply to Jan. 1, 1941. Jan. 15, 1941, is the nearest date for which data on retail prices of individual foods have been computed.

2 Not included in index.

3 Prices not computed.

4 Not priced.

Composite price not computed.

TABLE 4.-Indexes of average retail prices of all foods, by cities,' on specified dates