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Consumer purchases rose less than projected in February, indicating the biggest part of the U.S. economy will find it hard to sustain momentum after the best quarter since 2006.

Consumer purchases adjusted for inflation rose in January, a sign the plunge in gasoline prices is helping boost the biggest part of the U.S. economy.

Consumer spending fell in December as households took a breather from the break-neck pace of buying that characterized the fourth quarter.

A coalition of road builders and labor unions has released a study that details how federal spending on transportation infrastructure boosts the economy by creating jobs beyond the construction sector.

Construction spending rose 1.1% in October, the Commerce Department reported Dec. 2.

Consumer spending in the United States climbed in October at the same pace as incomes, showing households are staying within their means as the holiday-shopping season begins.

Consumer spending in the U.S. unexpectedly dropped in September as incomes rose at the slowest pace of the year, indicating the economy will have difficulty sustaining a pickup in growth into the end of the year.

President Obama on July 17 signed an initiative aimed at helping state agencies connect with private-sector investors to upgrade the country’s aging transportation infrastructure.