U.S. Personal Income Unexpectedly Inches Higher In June

Personal income in the U.S. expectedly saw a slight increase in the month of June, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Friday.

The report showed personal income inched up by 0.1 percent in June after tumbling by a revised 2.2 percent in May.

The uptick surprised economists, who had expected personal income to dip by 0.3 percent compared to the 2.0 percent slump originally reported for the previous month.

The modest increase in personal income primarily reflected higher private wages and salaries, which were partly offset by decreases in economic impact payments and unemployment insurance.

Disposable personal income, or personal income less personal current taxes, was virtually unchanged in June after plunging by 2.7 percent in May.

Meanwhile, the Commerce Department said personal spending jumped by 1.0 percent in June after edging down by a revised 0.1 percent in May.

Economists had expected personal spending to increase by 0.7 percent compared to the unchanged reading originally reported for the previous month.

Excluding price changes, personal spending rose by a more modest 0.5 percent in June after falling by 0.6 percent in May.

Reflecting the rebound in personal spending, personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income slid to 9.4 percent in June from 10.3 percent in May.

"That lower saving rate leaves less scope for households to fund further consumption growth in the second half of the year," said Paul Ashworth, Chief U.S. Economist at Capital Economics.

He added, "Overall, we now expect third-quarter real consumption growth to be around 3% annualized, with GDP growth at 4%."

A reading on inflation said to be preferred by the Federal Reserve showed the annual rate of core consumer price growth crept up to 3.5 percent in June from 3.4 percent in May.