The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for May 2023 (most recent available) is higher than the previous month’s value. The rise is the second consecutive increase. In May, upticks were observed in all four subindices — Equipment, Buildings, Construction Labor and Engineering & Supervision. The current CEPCI value now sits at 2.6% lower than the corresponding value from May 2022. Meanwhile, the Current Business Indicators (middle) show no change in the CPI output index for May, and a slight decrease in the CPI operating rate for May, as well as a small increase in the CPI value of output for April 2023. Also, producer prices for industrial chemicals fell in May.
2023 CEPCI updates: May (prelim.) and April (final)
| By Scott Jenkins