Personal Spending, Incomes Jump in March, Commerce Reports

onsumer spending jumped 0.6% in March as incomes rose, the Commerce Department reported Monday.

The gain followed a revised 0.2% increase in February that had originally been reported as a 0.1% uptick.

ersonal incomes jumped 0.8%, the most since September, following a 0.3% rise.

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

Inflation-adjusted spending on durable goods such as automobiles rose 0.6% after a 1.7% decline the previous month. Purchases of non-durable goods fell 0.4% after a 0.2% drop.

pending on services, which account for about 60% of total spending, rose 0.4% after gaining 0.7% in February, Commerce said.