Economy news and trends

Will Slight Improvement in Overall Jobs Outlook Boost Confidence to Keep Spending?
Economy // November 04, 2024

On its surface, last week’s job report was anemic at best and confounding at worst. And where there’s a cloudy picture on job prospects, the outlook for spending — and by extension, spending — remains muddied a bit, too. But, connect the dots a bit, and...

NY Times Sees Digital Subscriptions Slow as Consumers Cut Spending
Subscriptions // November 04, 2024

The New York Times has reportedly seen digital subscriptions slow amid weakened consumer spending. The media company added 260,000 digital-only subscribers during its third quarter, down from 300,000 in the prior quarter, Reuters reported Monday (Nov. 4). Analysts expected the publication to add 280,200 subscribers....

Beneath Data Distortions, Jobs Market Shows Signs of Normalizing
Economy // November 01, 2024

The U.S. economy added the equivalent of a large company in October, according to data released Friday (Nov. 1) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 12,000 positions were added last month, which missed estimates of 100,000 roles. Stocks roared out of the gate,...

Latest Consumer Data Shows Expenses Grew Faster Than Income in September
Economy // October 31, 2024

The latest data from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis revealed that consumer spending outpaced income growth in September. The news may be a boon for consumption and, by extension, merchants. However, the personal income and outlays data indicated that a decrease in...

Interviews & Exclusives
Trending: Consumer Spending Drives Q3 GDP Despite Disposable Income Pressure

October 30, 2024
It’s a truism that as the U.S. consumer goes, so goes the economy. And consumers are still opening their wallets and purses, tapping to pay, clicking to pay, swiping their cards; by extension, gross domestic product continues its upward trajectory, though at a pace slowing from previous readings. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis […]

Fed’s Beige Book Finds Mixed Consumer Spending Amid ‘Elevated Uncertainty’

October 24, 2024
The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book — released eight times a year, with the latest report debuting Wednesday (Oct. 23) afternoon — offers up a qualitative take on the state of...

Luxury Retailers Merge and Partner Their Ways Through Economic Uncertainty

October 11, 2024
The luxury goods market is witnessing a notable trend toward strategic partnerships. Rather than retreating in the face of challenges, industry players are doubling down on collaboration to fortify their...

Latest CPI Data Finds Consumers Literally Spend More Bread to Buy Bread

October 10, 2024
In economics, there’s often a bifurcation when it comes to data — the difference between what the headlines tell us and what the wallet feels. Case in point: Septembers’ official...

Quick Reads
Retailers Cut Christmas-Themed Item Orders Ahead of Lukewarm Holiday

November 05, 2024
As the holiday shopping season begins, expect to see fewer Christmas-themed items in stores. Retailers such as Walmart are ordering fewer Christmas trees, toys and decorations this year, in anticipation of a lukewarm shopping season, Reuters reported Tuesday (Nov. 5). According to the report, Walmart — the largest retailer in the world — shipped 340,000 kilos of products labeled […]

NY Times Sees Digital Subscriptions Slow as Consumers Cut Spending

November 04, 2024
The New York Times has reportedly seen digital subscriptions slow amid weakened consumer spending. The media company added 260,000 digital-only subscribers during its third quarter, down from 300,000 in the...

Job Openings Drop to Lowest Level Since Early 2021

October 29, 2024
The number of job openings in the United States declined to 7.4 million in September, down from 7.9 million in August and 9.3 million in September 2023. The Bureau of...

CEO Confidence Slips Amid Geopolitical Instability and Regulatory Uncertainty

October 24, 2024
Growing concerns about geopolitical instability and legal and regulatory uncertainty accompanied a slight decline in CEO confidence in the fourth quarter. The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence in collaboration...