Economy

If you’re a retail business owner who relies on Christmas sales to turn a profit, you’re probably feeling optimistic right now. Four major forecasts regarding the 2023 holiday shopping season have been released, and three of them predict an increase in sales compared with last year, despite a few clouds …

Halloween gets more and more popular in the United States every year, based on the amount of money spent on it. Shopping for Halloween – costumes, candy, house decorations, parties – is expected to reach record heights this year. U.S. consumers will spend $12.2 billion on Halloween-related items in 2023, …

Anyone looking for a temporary job during the upcoming holiday shopping season might have to look a little harder to find one than in past years. U.S. retailers are expected to add only 410,00 seasonal positions this year, the lowest number since 2008, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., …

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill that guarantees fast-food workers a minimum wage of $20 an hour. The new law, which Newsom made official Sept. 28 during a gathering in Los Angeles, gives California’s fast-food employees the highest guaranteed base pay for that sector of any state, according to …

U.S. consumers are expected to spend $12.2 billion on Halloween items this year, $1.6 billion more than last year’s record spending if that prediction is accurate, according to the leading retail trade association.] Seventy-three percent are expected to take part in Halloween activities this year, a four-percent increase compared with …

Inland Empire manufacturing is growing again. The region’s purchasing managers index in July was 54.2, up 2.1 from June, according to data released Aug.1 by the Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis at Cal State State San Bernardino. More important, June was the third consecutive month the index was …