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WEDNESDAY December 24, 2008

CONSUMER SPENDING TURNS UP IN NOVEMBER

Personal income fell 0.2 percent in November after rising
0.1 percent in October. Wages and salaries, the largest
component of personal income, fell 0.1 percent after
increasing 0.1 percent in October.
Real disposable personal income (DPI), income adjusted
for inflation and taxes, rose 1.0 percent in November after
rising 0.7 percent in October.
Real consumer spending (adjusted for price changes)
increased 0.6 percent in November after decreasing 0.5
percent in October. Purchases of trucks increased. Purchases
of gas increased, reflecting price reductions.
PCE prices fell 1.1 percent in November. Excluding food
and energy, price growth was flat in November.

Average
growth,
last 12
months
Personal
Income

0.2 %

0.1 %

–0.2 %

Real DPI

0.1 %

0.7 %

1.0 %

–0.1 %

–0.5 %

0.6 %

0.1%

–0.5 %

–1.1 %

Real
PCE

PCE
Prices

12-month
average
Personal saving as a percent of disposable income was 2.8
percent in November.

October November

Personal
Saving
Rate

1.4%

October November
2.4 %

2.8 %

Real Disposable Personal Income and
Real Consumer Spending
2.0

Percent change (monthly)

1.5
1.0

Real Disposable
Personal Income

0.5
0.0
-0.5
-1.0

Real Consumer
Spending

-1.5
-2.0

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

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 2, 2009, the December estimates of Personal Income and Outlays will be released.
Contact: Ralph Stewart 202–606–2649

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