Checking in on Personal Consumption

Reuters details

U.S. consumer spending was flat in December as households put the largest rise in income in nine months into their savings, potentially signaling slower consumption early in 2012. It was the weakest reading on spending since June, the Commerce Department said on Monday, and it followed two tepid gains in October and November.

The slow fourth quarter pushed the year over year real per capita spending (i.e. the amount of actual spending per person adjusted for inflation) down to 0.7%, the lowest reading since the crisis and the lowest reading since the early 1990's recession excluding the crisis.

Source: BEA