Personal Spending Rises 0.5%

Consumer personal spending rose 0.5% in April, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The gain followed a 0.4% March increase. Personal incomes fell 0.1% following two straight increases.

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

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