·
Personal income rose an expected 0.3% last month following an
upwardly revised 0.5% increase in October.
· Growth in wage & salary income eased to 0.2% (4.2% y/y) from the unrevised 0.6% pop in October as factory sector wages fell 0.1% (+3.3% y/y). Service sector wages rose 0.2% (4.2% y/y) following 0.5% increases in October and September while government wages increased 0.2% (3.3% y/y).
· Disposable personal income rose 0.3% (4.3% y/y) following an upwardly revised 0.4% October gain. Adjusted for the 0.4% decline in prices, take home pay jumped 0.7% (1.5% y/y).
· The PCE chain price index dropped 0.4% as gasoline prices fell. Less food & energy, prices rose the same 0.1% as in October. Durables prices fell 0.2% (-0.9% y/y) as new auto prices were flat. Appliance prices fell 0.7% (+3.7% y/y) and audio, video & computer prices dropped 1.2% (-9.9% y/y). Clothing & shoes prices rose 0.2% (-1.5% y/y) while services price rose 0.3% (3.2% y/y) following two months of 0.4% increase.
· The 0.3% rise in personal consumption expenditures was a bit light of expectations. Nondurables outlays fell 1.0% (8.0% y/y) though less gasoline & oil, spending on nondurables jumped 1.1% (6.9% y/y) led by a 1.5% (5.8% y/y) jump in spending on clothing & shoes. Spending on motor vehicles & parts rose 5.4% m/m and that helped lift durables spending overall 2.7% (-0.8% y/y), helped by a 1.3% (5.9% y/y) increase in spending on furniture. Services spending increased 0.5% (6.0% y/y) for the second month and the gain was led by a 0.6% (17.5% y/y) rise in spending on electricity & gas services.
· Great Expectations and the End of the Depression from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is available here.