January 02, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Consumers spend more in all categories in 1999

Consumer spending rose in all major categories in 1999. In comparison, spending had dropped in three categories the previous year.

Percent change in average annual consumer expenditures by component, 1997-99
[Chart data—TXT]

Increases in 1999 in average expenditures per consumer unit ranged from a 1.6-percent increase in spending on personal insurance and pensions to an 8.3-percent increase in entertainment spending.

In 1998, there had been decreases in spending in three of the nine major expenditure categories: food at home, apparel and services, and entertainment. The largest rise in spending in 1998 was 5.7 percent on food away from home.

These data come from the Consumer Expenditure Survey. Find out more in "Consumer Expenditures in 1999," news release USDL-00-369.

Of interest

Spotlight on Statistics: The Recession of 2007–2009

The most recent recession in the United States began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009, though many of the statistics that describe the U.S. economy have yet to return to their pre-recession values. In this Spotlight, we present BLS data that compare the recent recession to previous recessions. Read more »