Personal income dropped again in August:
To provide a bit of context, I’ve included the trendline for income through the end of 2019 and then extended it through August. It shows that income in August is about what it would have been if there had been no pandemic and no special assistance. When we get the September numbers we’ll know if income is finally dropping below the trendline or if it levels out.
Consumer spending shows exactly the opposite trend. It dropped significantly when the pandemic hit and has been rising ever since. But it’s still below the trendline, meaning that we’re all spending less than we would be if the pandemic had never hit.
