Consumer Spending Rises Mild 0.4% In March

Consumer spending rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4% in March, the Commerce Department said Thursday. But personal income was flat last month, likely reflecting slower job creation. Economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast a seasonally adjusted 0.5% increase in spending and a 0.2% gain in income. Also, inflation as gauged by the PCE price index climbed 0.2% in March. The core PCE index that excludes food and energy rose 0.1%.