Personal Spending Rises in March

Consumer personal spending rose 0.3% in March as incomes increased, the Commerce Department said Monday.

The increase followed a revised 0.9% climb in February that was the largest gain since August 2009.

The March gain was smaller than economists’ median forecast of a 0.4% increase, Bloomberg reported.

Personal incomes rose 0.4%, the most in three months.

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