Consumers got back into a buying groove and boosted their spending by a solid 0.5 percent in September. Incomes also grew briskly.
The latest figures, released Monday by the Commerce Department, suggested the economy is holding up well to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The 0.5 percent rise in consumer spending in September came after spending fell by that amount in August, reflecting the hit from Katrina. Americans’ incomes increased by 1.7 percent in September, the largest gain since December 2004
