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December 5, 2014 Retail industry employment increased by 37,000 jobs in November, the National Retail Federation said today.  Consistent with seasonal hiring patterns, employment gains were seen in most retail categories, including a marked increase of 11,300 jobs in clothing and clothing accessories stores.  NRF does not include automobile dealerships, gasoline stations or restaurants in... Read more »

December 5, 2014 The economy generated 321,000 new jobs in November, much faster than the average six month change in recent months at 258,000 jobs.  This job report is an especially strong one because it combines with an increase in hourly earnings at 9 cents, which is consistent with the acceleration in wages in the... Read more »

November 26, 2014 Temperatures are forecast to trend warmer than last year for the U.S. as a whole.  However, the Southeast may see some cooler trends compared to last year.  There is high confidence that the Great Lakes, New England, and South Central states will trend warmer than last year.  Onshore flow in the West... Read more »

December 4, 2014 Even if Dollar General is unsuccessful in acquiring Family Dollar, the company plans to get bigger faster in 2015 by opening two stores every day and enhancing the productivity of an already expansive footprint. Dollar General said Thursday it will open 730 new stores in 2015 and enter new states such as... Read more »

December 1, 2014 New Orders, Employment and Production Growing; Inventories Growing; Supplier Deliveries Slowing Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in November for the 18th consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 66th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. The report was issued... Read more »

November 20, 2014 As Dollar Tree moves forward with its acquisition of Family Dollar, the company reported an increase in same-store sales and expressed a favorable holiday outlook. Dollar Tree’s earnings per share increased 19% to $0.69 and its revenue increased 11.2% to $2.1 billion compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2013; these results... Read more »

December 1, 2014 Fewer Americans shopped and they spent less money during the Thanksgiving weekend, according to new estimates from the National Retail Federation. Early holiday promotions, the continued growth of online shopping, and an improving economy changed the way millions of people approached the biggest shopping weekend of the year, according to NRF’s Thanksgiving... Read more »

November 25, 2014 The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had rebounded in October, declined in November.  The index now stands at 88.7, down from 94.1 in October.  The Present Situation Index declined from 94.4 to 91.3, while the Expectations Index decreased sharply to 87.0 from 93.8 in October. Says Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators... Read more »

November 20, 2014 The Multifamily Production Index (MPI), released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), reached 54 in the third quarter, four points below the previous quarter’s reading.  This is the 11th quarter with a reading of 50 or above. The MPI measures builder and developer sentiment about current conditions in the... Read more »