U.S. retail and food services sales decreased 0.2 percent in May, following a revised 0.2-percent decline in April, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported Wednesday.

The department said the combined retail and food services sales in May dropped to a seasonally adjusted 404.6 billion U.S. dollars. The figure was 5.3 percent above the level a year ago.

Excluding autos, retail and food services sales in May totaled 331 billion dollars, down 0.4 percent from April, but still up 4.3 percent from a year earlier.

Retail sales at gasoline stations plunged 2.2 percent last month, after a 1.4 percent drop in April.

Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity. Many economists fret that a slower job growth and paltry wage increases may be leading consumers to pull back on spending.