U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Statement on April Retail Sales Numbers

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke issued the following statement on the release of the April 2009 U.S. Retail and Food Services Sales by the Commerce Department’s U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Today’s report showed that U.S. nominal retail sales fell 0.4% in April. Excluding motor vehicles and parts, retail sales fell 0.5% after falling 1.2% in March.

“Although retail sales declined slightly in April, they stayed above a recent low in December—and the jump in consumer attitudes about the economic outlook is a positive development. But even as Americans feel better about the direction of the economy, and the stimulus package is beginning to put people back to work, the decline in sales indicates just how difficult the economic environment remains.”