Author: Spencer Lee

Gone Country. Remote Workers May Open Opportunities for Rural America

Todd Henrikson did not plan to return to Emporia, Kansas, after more than 20 years away, but some surprising news he and his wife received caused them to reconsider – twins. “We really were kind of intimidated about having twins,” Henrikson said. “And because our families were both interested with our […]

A Boost in U.S. Jobs Numbers Fuels Cautious Economic Optimism

The April jobs report shows that the economic recovery from the recession still has wings and has put a kibosh on worries of a coming recession. Data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics released on Friday indicated that 263,000 jobs were added to nonfarm U.S. payrolls in April. The […]

Five Things to Watch For in February’s Retail Sales Report

The U.S. Census Bureau releases its February advance retail sales report on Monday. Major economists predict on average a gain of about 0.2% from January’s numbers. January’s report showed that the U.S. economy was still growing slowly compared to a year earlier. But if February’s data fails to meet expectations, […]

January Retail Rebounds After December’s Surprising Report

January retail sales improved over the prior month and likely indicate that surprisingly weak December data was an outlier. A report on retail sales released by the Commerce Department Monday showed a 0.2 percent month-over-month gain from December. Gains were posted in eight of 13 categories, including nonstore retail, which […]

Retail sales take an unexpected dip in December

December’s retail sales dropped off steeply in November and marked the sharpest monthly plunge in nine years, with almost every category showing a decrease in sales from the previous month. Data showed that overall retail sales fell 1.2 percent from November’s numbers – a figure well off analysts’ forecasts. Experts […]