LOS ANGELES, Aug 10 (Reuters) - U.S. e-commerce sales fell 1 percent to $30.2 billion in the second quarter from the same period last year, and might not recover until the wider U.S. economy begins to improve, according to new research data.

Online retail sales in the United States have not risen on a yearly basis since the third quarter of 2008, according to research house comScore.

The drop follows flat growth in the first quarter and a disappointing end to last year, signaling that online retail spending has yet to turn the corner, said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni in a statement.

"Unfortunately, it appears that the reality of nearly 10-percent unemployment and rising gas prices, coupled with an increased savings rate, continues to hold down consumers' discretionary spending and it may still take some time to dig our way out of this recession," Fulgoni said.

The sales figures do not include auctions, autos or large corporate purchases, and are estimates based on a panel of 1 million U.S. Internet users.

While U.S. online spending has not grown since the third quarter of 2008, when it rose 6 percent according to comScore, consumers spent more online on categories such as toys and hobbies.

Spending on those items grew 21 percent compared with the same quarter last year. Online spending on books and magazines as well as video games, consoles and accessories also saw double-digit growth.

(Reporting by Laura Isensee. Editing by Robert MacMillan)