The economy expanded in the third quarter of 2013 at a faster pace than initially reported, led by the biggest increase in inventories since early 1998. But consumer spending slowed.
Gross domestic product climbed at a 3.6 percent annualized rate, up from an initial estimate of 2.8 percent and the strongest since the first quarter of 2012, Commerce Department figures showed in a Thursday report. The median forecast of 77 economists surveyed by Bloomberg predicted a 3.1 percent gain.
The buildup in stockpiles risks limiting factory production without stronger demand. Faster growth in household purchases, which grew at the slowest pace in almost four years, and a rebound in business investment would help companies justify increasing orders and adding workers.
“When you look at the relative optimism you’ve seen in the business surveys, the most logical explanation for the inventory build is a more positive outlook,” said Lewis Alexander, chief economist at Nomura Holdings Inc. in New York, who forecast growth at 3.5 percent. Still, “the big missing ingredient is businesses being sufficiently confident to actually boost hiring and do capital spending.”
The GDP reading is the second of three for the quarter, with the final release scheduled for Dec. 20 when more information becomes available.
Another Thursday report showed first-time claims for jobless benefits dropped by 23,000 to 298,000 last week, according to the Labor Department.
The pickup in GDP followed gains of 2.5 percent in the previous quarter and 1.1 percent in the first three months of the year.
Inventories increased at a $116.5 billion annualized pace in the third quarter, the most since the first quarter of 1998, after a previously reported $86 billion rate. In the second quarter, they rose at a $56.6 billion pace. Stockpiles added 1.68 percentage points to GDP last quarter, double the initial estimate and the biggest contribution since the end of 2011.
Final sales, which exclude inventories, increased 1.9 percent in the third quarter after a 2.1 percent gain the prior three months.
Americans’ purchasing power rose at a slower pace. Disposable income adjusted for inflation increased at a 2.9 percent annualized rate from July through September after a 4.1 percent advance in the second quarter.
The report also included revisions to second-quarter personal income. Wages and salaries increased by $77.2 billion, up from the previously reported gain of $54.6 billion. They rose about $46 billion in the third quarter.
The data also offered a first glance at corporate profits. Before-tax earnings rose at a 1.8 percent rate after climbing at 3.3 percent the prior period. They increased 5.6 percent from last year. Gross domestic income, which reflects all the money earned by consumers, businesses and government agencies, increased at a 1.4 percent annualized rate in the third quarter after a 3.2 percent gain in the previous three months. Consumer spending increased 1.4 percent, the smallest gain since the fourth quarter of 2009.