The outlook for household spending got a big boost from strong job gains in February—especially in service jobs, according to a first look at the latest topline U.S. jobs numbers. The job count increased by 242,000 in February. Four of the…
Online trends in household spending by category—from apparel to food to toys—are on a trajectory that create a widening gap between consumable versus discretionary goods. The gap is widening as the online market share of discretionary goods accelerates while online penetration…
Household confidence weakened noticeably in February, but an encouraging sign for the near-term spending outlook is that confidence in current conditions is holding up, according to a first look at the latest U.S. confidence measures. When confidence in current or present…
Food and fuel prices continue to fall, but households faced higher prices across a range of other categories in January, according to a first look at the latest U.S. consumer price numbers. Autos, apparel, rent, medical care, prescription drugs, and recreational…
Household retail spending perked up in January and was a bit better during the holiday than first reported, according to the latest U.S. retail numbers. The revised holiday numbers show that the holiday results were close to the 3.5% forecast by…
Expect that households in 2016 will sustain overall modest growth in their spending—but look for key macro factors to contribute to stronger or weaker growth in places. Energy-dependent markets: Expect state and local markets across the mid-section of the country to…
January’s modest job gains should be enough to sustain steady U.S. growth amid global challenges to the economic outlook, according to the latest U.S. jobs numbers. The job count increased by 151,000 in January after three prior months of strong job…