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U.S. consumers are spending sluggishly, creating less new demand for factory goods. Americans spent less at retail businesses in June for the third straight month, the Commerce Department said Monday. It was the first three-month decline for retail sales since the height of the financial crisis. Most other economic data also weakened in the April-to-June quarter. Job growth slowed to a crawl in part because manufacturers hired fewer new workers. U.S. industry was operating at 78.9 percent of its total capacity, the same level as April. It dipped to 78.7 percent in May. Factory output has increased 15.5 percent since its recession-era low, reached in June 2009. It remains 2.9 percent below its pre-recession peak, reached in June 2007.
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