Retail Sales Encouraging in November

Washington, DC, Dec. 11, 2009--U.S. retail sales rose an encouraging 1.3% in November, according to Commerce Department data released Friday.

It was the third increase in the past four months.

Excluding the 1.6% rise in auto sales, sales rose 1.2%, the fastest since January.

Economists expected total sales to rise 0.5% and sales excluding autos to rise 0.4%.

It was the strongest sales report since August's 2.4% increase. The gains were widespread, as only clothing and furniture sales dropped in the month. The figures are seasonally adjusted but are not adjusted for inflation.

The strong report adds to the perception that the U.S. economy is exiting the recession in good shape. Economists caution that the economy still faces significant headwinds from the credit crunch and high unemployment rate.
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