Consumer Spending

WASHINGTON - A flurry of good news this week - including falling jobless claims, stronger consumer spending, and higher new-home sales - suggests the economic rebound, modest though it is, might just be here to stay. While analysts caution that the recovery will be too sluggish to stop the unemployment rate from rising, the reports are at least encouraging enough to calm fears of a dreaded “double-dip’’ recession. “This recovery continues to trudge ahead,’’ said economist Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics.

Japan's economy grew an at annual rate of 4.1 percent in the first quarter amid a gradual recovery from last year's catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. The Cabinet Office said Thursday that the preliminary growth figures showed that a rebound in consumer spending was lifting the world's third-biggest economy. After the March 11 disaster last year, many Japanese were in mourning and stayed away from stores, theaters and pubs. That compounded the damage from disruptions to manufacturing in northeastern Japan, where many auto and electronics plants ground to a halt, and other parts...

WASHINGTON — Consumers as a whole will probably spend more this year, but not because they will be earning more money. Even people lucky enough to get a raise will probably spend most of the extra dollars to pay higher gas and food prices. Yet employers are hiring more freely this year and more people working means more money being spent to fuel the economy. “It is hard to spend money without an income. More jobs will be good for consumer spending,’’ said David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor’s in New York.

WASHINGTON - Americans are starting to see some relief from higher gas prices, a change that could revive the economy in the months ahead. Consumer prices were flat in April, largely because of a decline in gas prices. Lower prices at the pump may be combining with steady job growth to power more spending on big purchases. Sales of autos, furniture, and electronics all rose in April. And Americans spent more at restaurants and bars - generally a sign of confidence in the economy.

WASHINGTON -- Consumer spending turned higher in September and incomes grew briskly, suggesting the economy is holding up well to the double blows of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The 0.5 percent rise in consumer spending came after spending fell by that amount in August, reflecting the hit from Katrina, the Commerce Department reported yesterday. Americans' incomes, meanwhile, increased by 1.7 percent in September, the largest gain since December 2004, boosted in part by post-hurricane insurance payments.

WASHINGTON -- Consumers rediscovered their appetite for shopping in June, boosting spending by a strong 0.8 percent. It was fresh testament to the economy's momentum as it headed into the third quarter. The increase, reported by the Commerce Department yesterday, came after consumers tightened their belts in May, leaving spending flat. Consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of all US economic activity so it is closely watched by economists. "July is shaping up to be another firm month for spending, though perhaps not quite as explosive in real terms as June," said Steven...

WASHINGTON - Consumers barely increased their spending in October, and businesses pulled back on investment in long-lasting manufactured goods. Still, Americans' pay rose by the most in seven months. Paul Dales, at Capital Economics, said the data suggest growth in the October-December quarter could be weaker than hoped for. He now expects 2.5 percent growth. Consumer spending rose 0.1 percent last month, the Commerce Department said, the poorest gain in four months. Yet people continued to spend more on cars and electronics, analysts noted.

Retail spending by U.S. consumers likely cooled off in April after two months of big gains. Economists predict that retail sales rose just 0.2 percent last month, according to a survey by FactSet. The Commerce Department will release the report at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday. Retail sales increased 0.8 percent in March and 1 percent in February, aided by a healthier job market and a mild weather. That pushed sales to a record high of $411.1 billion, 24 percent above the recession low hit in March 2009.

Stock futures rose Tuesday as government data showed that consumers spent slightly more in April as prices remained flat. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 60 points to 12,715. Standard & Poor's 500 futures added 7.6 points to 1,341.7. Nasdaq composite futures rose 19 points to 2,604. With gasoline prices down and possibly an earlier-than-usual start to the spring shopping season, the Commerce Department reported that retail sales rose 0.1 percent in April. Retail spending had risen 0.7 percent in March and 1 percent in February.

WASHINGTON - Claims for unemployment benefits declined last week to the lowest level in a month, easing concern that the US labor market is faltering. First-time claims dropped by 1,000 to 367,000 in the period ended May 5, the Labor Department said today in Washington. Other reports showed that a gauge of consumer confidence declined to a three-month low, and the trade deficit widened on rising demand for imports from oil to autos. Claims are returning to levels reached in February and March, indicating a surge last month probably reflected difficulty in adjusting the data for an...

NEW YORK - Sales momentum for retailers slowed in April. The 19 chains tracked by Thomson Reuters reported a thin 0.8 percent increase in sales at stores open at least a year, missing the 1.5 percent gain that analysts were expecting. Combined with strong sales at the start of the year, the lackluster April results indicated that an early burst of consumer spending did not last long. "While projections were that consumer spending would continue to accelerate, there are signs that it may be slowing," said Alison Jatlow Levy, a retail strategist at the consulting firm...

NEW YORK - Service industries in the United States expanded less than projected and consumer confidence weakened, signaling the world's largest economy may be cooling. The Institute for Supply Management said Thursday that its nonmanufacturing index fell to a four-month low of 53.5 in April, from 56 in March. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was 55.3. A reading above 50 signals expansion. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index fell to a two-month low last week.

WASHINGTON - Americans increased their spending more slowly in March, suggesting some are worried that their paychecks aren't growing quickly enough. The Commerce Department said Monday that consumer spending increased just 0.3 percent last month after rising 0.9 percent in February. Income grew 0.4 percent following a 0.3 percent gain in February, but after-tax income when adjusted for inflation increased just 0.2 percent in March. The gain followed two months of declines.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The US economy grew more slowly in the first three months of this year. Stronger consumer spending was offset by cutbacks in government spending and business investment. The Commerce Department said Friday that the economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.2 percent in the January-March quarter, compared with a 3 percent gain in the final quarter of 2011. Consumers spent at the fastest pace in more than a year. In 2011, the economy grew just 1.7 percent.