U.S. retail sales rose in August from July, mostly because consumers paid higher gas prices and bought more cars and trucks. Retail sales increased a seasonally adjusted 0.9 percent, the Commerce Department said Friday.
Outside autos and gas, sales rose only 0.1 percent. That’s below July’s 0.8 percent gain. Sales at general merchandise, clothing and electronic stores fell. Sales at grocery stores, sporting goods stores and online retailers were unchanged.
The data showed that high unemployment and meager wage gains are limiting consumers’ willingness to spend.
That, in turn, is dragging on the economy.
News Tribune news services
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.