2009 News Releases

For immediate release:
August 4, 2009

Media contact:
James Hoard
Phone: (214) 922-5307
e-mail: james.hoard@dal.frb.org

Dallas Fed Trimmed Mean PCE Postponed Until August 28 Due to Data Revisions

DALLAS—Due to a comprehensive revision of personal consumption expenditures data by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas has postponed the release of its Trimmed Mean PCE inflation rate until August 28.

The Trimmed Mean PCE inflation rate is an alternative measure of core inflation in the price index for PCE. It is calculated by the Dallas Fed, using data from the BEA.

As part of the recent revision to the national income and product accounts, the BEA has reorganized the set of underlying data from which the Trimmed Mean PCE is derived.

“We expect that updating the trimmed mean to take account of the new classification scheme will be a time-consuming process,” said Dallas Fed senior economist Jim Dolmas. “It will involve, among other things, recalculating the optimal trimming proportions.”

Both June and July Trimmed Mean PCE data will be released on August 28. That release will also include an explanation of any changes in methodology necessitated by the comprehensive revision.

For more information on the Trimmed Mean PCE, visit www.dallasfed.org.

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