Credit and debit card spending per household accelerated to 5.1% year-over-year in January from 2.2% in December, the Bank of America Institute reported, citing its own data. While the bank noted the Omicron variant helped suppress spending in Jan. 2022, it also noted other factors. It noted a “meaningful” increase in spending after Christmas, which could be suggestive of looking for post-holiday promotions and discounts. It also noted a rise in the minimum wage in several states, the 8.7% boost in Social Security payments that came in effect, and the resilience of the jobs market.
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