US sees jump in consumer borrowing US consumers borrowed much more than expected in December, official figures showed Tuesday, pointing to improved confidence and the potential rejuvenation of a key pillar of economic growth. The Federal Reserve reported that consumer credit swelled by $19.3 billion in December, far more than the $8.5 billion expected by economists. "For the second consecutive month, consumer credit growth blew out expectations," said analysts at Briefing.com. Commercial banks, finance companies, credit unions and student loan companies all opened their books to customers. That could point to a further US recovery. Since the 2008 financial meltdown, lenders have tightened up lending while consumers have tried to clear their debts. Both trends have resulted in lower spending that has slowed the recovery. "The bulk of December's gain came from... student loans, followed by loans for autos," said Ellen Zentner of Nomura, cautioning that "the level of credit card usage remains historically, extraordinarily low."