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The Two-Way
Wholesale Prices Plunge, But So Do Retail Sales
April 12, 2013 The good news: Inflation remains in check. The bad news: Consumers were less willing to spend last month.
The Two-Way
Consumer Spending Rose 0.7 Percent In February; Higher Gas Prices A Factor
March 29, 2013 With higher prices for gasoline factored out, spending rose a more modest 0.3 percent. Meanwhile, personal income rose a healthy 1.1 percent.
The Two-Way
Retail Sales Rose In February; Spending Was 'Relatively Robust'
March 13, 2013 The 1.1 percent increase is a sign that despite higher payroll taxes and increases in the price of such things as gasoline, consumers are still willing to spend. And that's good news for the economy.
The Two-Way
Growth In Incomes, Spending Slowed In 2012; Jobless Claims Jumped Last Week
January 31, 2013 The year ended on a strong note, with personal incomes up 2.6 percent in December alone. But over all of 2012, growth in both incomes and spending was less than the increases in 2011. The week's big economic news comes Friday when we'll hear how many jobs were created in January.
The Two-Way
Retail Sales Rose As 2012 Ended; Inflation Remained In Check
January 15, 2013 Consumers were still in a spending mood in December, even as lawmakers battled over the budget. Meanwhile, wholesale prices fell slightly. Those are both good signs for the economy.
The Two-Way
Consumer Spending, Orders For Durable Goods Rose In November
December 21, 2012 The increases add to signs that the economy continues to rebound from the 2007-09 recession and the slow recovery that followed.
The Two-Way
Consumer Spending Dipped In October; Superstorm Sandy Blamed
November 30, 2012 Many in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic couldn't get to stores and were out of work for at least a short time because of the destruction Sandy wrought. That dampened spending and cut into incomes.
The Two-Way
Income And Spending Both Basically Flat In August
September 28, 2012 Spending went up, but largely because gasoline cost more — not due to stronger demand.
The Two-Way
Consumer Prices, Consumer Spending Both Flat In April
May 15, 2012 Dropping gas prices helped hold inflation down. Meanwhile, April consumer spending may have been slowed because warm weather in March encouraged folks to get out their wallets then.
The Two-Way
After Big Gain In February, Consumer Spending Rose Less In March
April 30, 2012 A large 0.9 percent gain in consumer spending from January to February was followed by a more modest 0.3 percent increase from February to March, the Bureau of Economic Analysis says.
The Two-Way
Consumer Spending Jumped Up In February, Incomes Rose Just A Little
March 30, 2012 The news could be a sign that consumers are feeling better about how the economy is doing, and are willing to spend more even if their incomes are rising only slowly.
The Two-Way
Jobless Claims Ticked Down Again, Consumer Spending Edged Up
March 1, 2012 There were 2,000 fewer first-time claims for unemployment last week than in the week before. Meanwhile, consumer spending rose 0.2 percent in January from December.
The Two-Way
Consumer Spending Rose In September, But At Expense Of Savings
October 28, 2011 Analysts wonder whether the spending surge can be sustained if savings are being depleted.
The Two-Way
Personal Income Slipped In August, Consumer Spending Basically Flat
September 30, 2011 The 0.1 percent dip in income was the weakest showing for any month since October 2009.
The Two-Way
Consumer Spending Rebounds; Obama Chooses New Economic Adviser
August 29, 2011 Spending had dipped 0.1 percent in June from May. That had raised concerns about whether consumers — who buy about 70 percent of all goods and services — might pull an already weak economy down further.