An increase in business and consumer spending boosted the state’s taxable retail sales by 7.6 percent for the third quarter of 2013, according to the Washington State Department of Revenue. Taxable retail sales between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2013 reached $31 billion – a $2.2 billion increase over the same period in 2012.

“The increase in taxable retail sales was driven by auto sales and new construction,” Washington State Director of Revenue Carol K. Nelson said. “This increase in spending shows that consumer confidence in Washington continues to improve and is at its highest level since the Great Recession.”

Third quarter retail trade purchases increased by 5.4 percent over the same time the year before.

Retail trade is a subset of total taxable retail sales and includes purchases of clothes, home furnishings, books, cars and general merchandise but excludes sales in industries such as manufacturing and construction.