Glossary
Not seasonally adjusted
The CPI treatment commercial contracts use: the published index, without the seasonal-adjustment factors BLS revises.
BLS publishes many CPI series both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted. Seasonal adjustment is a statistical smoothing so monthly moves are easier to read. Those seasonally adjusted figures are revised when the seasonal factors are updated.
A contract price cannot rest on a number that BLS may revise. The stable input is the not-seasonally-adjusted index level. In the series ID, that is the 'U' in the third position of CUUR0000SA0 (unadjusted), as opposed to CUSR0000SA0 (seasonally adjusted).
Unless the clause explicitly says 'seasonally adjusted,' use the unadjusted series. RateClause's tables contain only unadjusted series for that reason.
The 12-month percent BLS features in a news release is computed from unadjusted indexes, and it is still the wrong input if your base month and comparison month are not exactly that release's window.
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.