The home improvement industry is looking up according to the Hardware Retailing Stock Index, which reports stock activity of the leading home improvement retailers, manufacturers and builders influencing the industry. Throughout the month of October, the index gained $84 or a 6.4 …
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Small Businesses Increase Head Count
Small businesses across the United States added 102,000 jobs in October, up nearly 10 percent from September. This increase is the second six-figure number in the past year and marks the second-straight month of growth since the summer slump. Small …
Read More »Canadians Spend More on Home Improvement
Canadians are spending less on entertainment and dining and dedicating more discretionary income to travel and home improvement. According to a report from Moneris, a provider of payment processing solutions, “Purchases at home improvement stores rose by 8.49 percent over …
Read More »First-Time Buyers Face Obstacles
The amount of first-time homebuyers in the market is rather small compared to previous years. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), “the share of first-time buyers fell to its lowest point in nearly three decades and is preventing …
Read More »More Gifts to Give, More Money to Spend
Consumers are increasing their gift-gifting this year, according to Deloitte’s 29th annual holiday shopping survey. This optimistic outlook has been shared with other analysts, but Deloitte details all aspects in its 32-page report. Below is a brief overview of the findings …
Read More »More Americans Opting Out of Paid Vacation
Paid time off is a benefit that a majority of companies offer; yet a new study by Oxford Economics found that employees are not taking advantage of these vacation days. In 2013, Americans let 169 million days of paid time …
Read More »American Consumers Still Have Wallets on Lockdown
As the economy takes small steps towards recovery, many Americans are still monitoring their spending. According to a national poll for Bankrate’s monthly Financial Index, two-thirds of Americans “say they have a reason to limit how much they spend each …
Read More »Job Market Improves with 35,500 Retail Jobs
According to an article by the National Retail Federation, retail industry employment increased by 35,500 jobs in September. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation Summary, the total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 248,000 in September and …
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