Glossary
CPI-W
The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, a narrower index than CPI-U.
CPI-W covers urban wage earners and clerical workers. It is a subset of the urban population CPI-U covers. Some labor agreements use it. Most commercial cleaning, landscaping, HVAC, security, and pest contracts that say CPI mean CPI-U, but the contract controls.
The national not-seasonally-adjusted all-items CPI-W series is CWUR0000SA0. It is in the calculator so a clause that actually names CPI-W can be computed. It is not a silent fallback when the clause says CPI-U.
Do not average CPI-U and CPI-W. Do not switch to CPI-W because it printed a more convenient percent in a given year. The series is part of the price.
If a security or elevator agreement names CPI-W because it was copied from a labor contract, compute CPI-W. If it names a union scale instead, neither CPI is the right input.
Related terms
See it used in a worked example · CPI calculator · Request an audit
Sources and limits
Index levels from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, not seasonally adjusted, retrieved through the BLS Public Data API on November 1, 2026. Values are index points, not the headline 12-month percent.
Statewide rates reflect U.S. Department of Labor state minimum-wage postings as updated January 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Note on 2026 increases, and, for the prior-year comparison and named local rates, the National Employment Law Project compilation published in November 2025. Confirm the rate that applies to the workplace before using it in a bill.
The contracts in these worksheets are fictional. The prices are chosen so the arithmetic is easy to check. They are not a price survey and they are not client results.
RateClause is not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Your clause controls, including whether a past period can be rebilled at all.
Primary postings: BLS Consumer Price Index, U.S. Department of Labor, state minimum wages, U.S. Department of State notice of 2026 minimum-wage increases.