WASHINGTON — Wholesale prices for women’s apparel in February rose 0.7 percent against January and 0.1 percent over last year at this time, as prices for textiles at the producer level declined by 0.1 percent, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.
While overall producer prices rose 0.5 percent, seasonally adjusted from January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said the index increase was almost entirely due to sharply higher prices for energy.
Overall, finished consumer goods other than food and energy edged up 0.1 percent over the month, after increasing 0.4 percent in January.
Wholesale prices for all apparel rose 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted from January, an increase of 0.3 percent over February 1993.
Ron Schreibman, vice president of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, said home heating oil increases give the overall report “a nastier look and feel than it merits. Inflation is very much a toothless tiger when you take out the energy price increases tied to the severe winter weather in February. As the snow melts, so will energy prices, keeping overall producer prices in check.”
Robert Barr, deputy chief economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, also tried to downplay the increase and said it “doesn’t sound the inflation alarm,” because the core index only advanced 0.1 percent in February.
Among the women’s apparel categories with notable wholesale price fluctuations last month were dresses, up 1.8 percent in February and 0.6 percent over the year; sweaters and jackets, up 0.9 percent in February and unchanged over last year; blouses, up 0.5 percent last month and 3.8 percent over last year; slacks, up 0.5 percent last month and down 3.2 percent from last year, and skirts, up 0.3 percent last month and down 0.5 percent from last year.