Consumer Spending Rises 0.6%

Consumer personal spending rose 0.6% in August, the biggest in four months, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The gain followed a 0.4% increase in July. Personal incomes rose 0.3% following a 0.5% rise, Commerce said.

The spending gain was greater than economists’ forecasts of a 0.4% increase, Bloomberg reported.

An increase in consumer spending could increase demand for new factory goods and the trucking shipments that get them to stores.