consumption

Consumer Spending Increased 0.8%, Real Personal Income Minus Government Payments Decreased -0.1% for September 2012

Americans spent more than they earned. That's what's implied in the BEA's September personal income and outlay's report. Consumer spending increased 0.8% from last month, and when adjusted for inflation was a 0.4% increase for September. Consumer spending is another term for personal consumption expenditures or PCE.

Real Consumer Spending Up 0.1%, Real Dispoable Income Down -0.3% for August 2012

Consumer spending increased 0.5% from last month, yet when adjusted for inflation was only a 0.1% increase for August. Consumer spending is a name coined by the press and means personal consumption expenditures or PCE. Real personal consumption expenditures are hugely important to economic growth as consumer spending is about 71% of GDP.

 

Real Consumer Spending Up, 0.5%, Real Personal Income Down, -0.1%, for February 2012

The Personal Income and Outlays report shows people spent more than they earned in February. Consumer spending increased 0.8% from last month, but after taking price increases into account, increased by 0.5%. While disposable income increased by 0.2%, when adjusted for inflation, disposable income actually dropped, -0.1%. Personal income increased 0.2% in February.

Real Consumer Spending Zero, Real Personal Income -0.1%, for January 2012

There is spending and income and then there is spending an income adjusted for price increases. The Personal Income and Outlays report covers individual income, consumption and savings. Consumer spending increased 0.2% from last month, but after taking price increases into account, there was actually no monthly change.

Consumer Spending, Personal Income both up 0.1%, for November 2011

The Personal Income and Outlays report for November covers individual income, consumption and savings. Consumer spending increased 0.1% while disposable income had no change. Personal income increased 0.1% There are two things to garner from this month's numbers. Consumer spending is mute and wages, salaries declined.

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