Even with lockdowns, fewer parties and reduced travel, the National Retail Federation reports that in 2020, Americans spent $209 billion on holiday-related purchases — averaging about $998 per person.1 If it seems a bit early to be talking about holiday shopping, consider that you may want to shop earlier than ever this year. That’s because …
They say we don’t always appreciate what we have until it’s gone. That was one of the big lessons learned during the pandemic — but there are others. We learned a lot about the quirks and interests of family members — which tend to change as our children grow and we don’t always realize how …
Historically, inflation has been highly correlated with unemployment levels. When more people were out of a job, inflation was lower. As more people got jobs, inflation increased. From an economic point of view, this makes sense. Jobs increase income, which increases spending, which increases demand — supplies drop and prices rise. The opposite is true …
Jobs data can be confusing. For example, the New York Federal Reserve reported in May that among businesses active before the pandemic, 35% remain closed, only 3% of service businesses still closed were likely to reopen, and only 4% of workers will be rehired by currently closed small businesses.1 One industry that has experienced the …
