Economy

Mother’s Day spending is expected to reach a record $38 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation. If that prediction is accurate, it will top last year’s $34.1 billion, and surpass the current record of $35.7 billion set in 2023, the federation reported. “Mother’s Day remains a priority …

The Inland Empire recorded a 5.4 percent unemployment rate in February, essentially unchanged from the previous month, according to the state Employment Development Department. Between January and February, total non-agricultural employment in Riverside and San Bernardino counties declined by 12,300 jobs, to 1,710,700 jobs, the department reported. Trade, transportation, and …

The Inland Empire recorded a 5.4 percent unemployment rate in January, up from a revised 5.1 percent in December, according to the state Employment Development Department. Non-agricultural employment in Riverside and San Bernardino counties fell by 23,600 jobs during the first month of 2025, while agriculture lost 700 jobs, the …

Normally, the keynote speaker at IE Business Daily’s annual economic outlook predicts how he or she believes the economy is likely to perform during the rest of the year. Twenty twenty six is different, however.  This year’s keynote speaker declined to do so. “Forecasting the economy for the entire year, …

U.S. retail sales will total $5.6 trillion this year, a 4.4 percent increase compared with 2025, according to the National Retail Federation. That prediction is based on a forecasting method recently developed by the federation and Oxford Economics, a global economic advisory firm, according to a statement posted March 18 …

February was a good month for U.S. retail, with increased sales month-over-month and year-over-year. Not counting automobile dealerships and gasoline stations, sales were up 0.28 percent from January and up 6.2 percent compared with February 2025, according to the National Retail Federation. The January-February numbers are seasonally adjusted, the year-over-year …