Rising energy costs--up 4.9 percent in March--accounted for more than half of the monthly change in the overall CPI for the second consecutive month. The food index, which increased 0.4 percent in February, rose 0.1 percent in March.

Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U rose 0.4 percent in March, following increases of 0.2 percent in the first two months of this year. Most major expenditure groups contributed to the larger March advance with increases in the cost of shelter, transportation (other than motor fuels), and household furnishings and operations accounting for about three-fourths of the acceleration.