U.S. wholesalers increased their inventories in November, and their sales rose at the fastest pace in almost two years, the government said Thursday in a report that held encouraging signs for economic growth. The Commerce Department said wholesale inventories rose 0.6 percent in November from the previous month, when inventories had risen 0.3 percent. With the increase, wholesale inventories grew to $498.9 billion, up nearly 30 percent from the post-recession low seen in September 2009. Sales at the wholesale level jumped 2.3 percent in November, rebounding from a 0.9 percent drop in October. It was the biggest monthly sales gain since March 2011. More restocking of inventories leads to more factory production, which helps economic growth. Faster restocking helped the economy grow at a 3.1 percent annual rate in the summer.
