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THURSDAY January 31, 2008

CONSUMER SPENDING UNCHANGED IN DECEMBER
Average
growth,
last 12
months

Personal income rose 0.5 percent in December, after
increasing 0.4 percent in November. Wages and salaries, the
largest component of personal income, increased 0.4 percent,
after increasing 0.6 percent in November.

Real disposable personal income (DPI), income adjusted
for inflation and taxes, increased 0.2 percent in December,
after decreasing 0.2 percent in November.

Real consumer spending was unchanged, in part reflecting
reduced spending on electricity and clothing. In November,
consumer spending increased 0.4 percent.

November December

Personal
Income

0.5%

0.4%

0.5%

Real
DPI

0.2%

–0.2%

0.2%

Real
PCE

0.2%

0.4%

0.0%

PCE
Prices

0.3%

0.6%

0.2%

Prices, as measured by the personal consumption
expenditures price index (PCE), increased 0.2 percent in
December, compared with a 0.6 percent increase in
November.

12-month
average November December
Personal
Saving
Rate

Personal saving as a percent of disposable personal income
was 0.2 percent in December.

0.0%

0.5%

0.2%

Real Disposable Personal Income and
Real Consumer Spending

Percent change (monthly)

1.0

0.5

0.0

-0.5

-1.0
Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Real Disposable Personal Income

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Real Consumer Spending

BEA data—including GDP, personal income, the balance of payments, foreign direct investment, the input-output accounts, and
economic data for states, local areas, and industries—are available on the BEA Web site: www.bea.gov. E-mail alerts are also available.
NOTE: On February 29, 2008, the January estimates of Personal Income and Outlays will be released.
Contact: Ralph Stewart 202–606–2649

Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce