The unemployment rate rose to its four-year high of 4.6%, up from 4.4% year over year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Positively, employers added 64,000 jobs in November. Household survey data for October 2025 were not collected …
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Retail sales saw strong year-over-year growth in November, with the first half of the month posting results on track to meet the National Retail Federation’s spending forecast, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. “Retail sales showed healthy year-over-year gains in November …
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Independent retailers are coming into 2026 with a cooling renovation market and a cost-sensitive customer with a shift toward DIY. Dave King, executive director of the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI), says those pressures hit independent retailers differently than big-box …
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The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a vote of 9-3, a smaller margin than typically seen. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the panel of Federal Reserve officials responsible for setting monetary policies, dropped the interest rate range to …
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West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. recently announced it will permanently close its Augusta, Georgia, and 100 Mile House, British Columbia, lumber mills by the end of 2025 following an orderly wind-down. The decision is in response to timber supply challenges …
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In February 2025, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Mint would stop minting pennies, citing their high production cost. According to the U.S. Mint, it cost 3.7 cents to make one penny in 2024. Now, retailers across the country …
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In support of its goals and in light of the shift in the balance of risks, the Federal Reserve decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by ¼ percentage point to 3 ¾ to 4%, the …
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Walmart released its Q2 fiscal year 2026 financial results, posting new sales of $120.9 billion, a 4.8% increase year over year. Comparable sales for the second quarter were $5.5 billion, a 0.4% increase year over year. Walmart attributes the increase …
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