Personal Spending Rises 0.2% in March

Personal spending rose 0.2% in March, the Commerce Department said Monday.

The rise followed a 0.7% gain in February. Economists’ median forecast was for spending to be little changed, Bloomberg News reported.

Personal incomes rose 0.2%, below economists’ forecast of a 0.4% rise, Bloomberg said.

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