Personal Spending Rises 0.3% in September

Consumer personal spending rose 0.3% in September, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The gain followed a revised 0.5% increase in August that was lower than originally reported.

Personal incomes rose 0.4% following a 0.5% gain, Commerce said.

The spending gain was below 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.