Archive for Between the Lines
April Consumer Spending Was Up Most in Seven Years
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines How about some good economic news for a change? The Commerce Department reported on Tuesday morning that consumer spending in April rose by the most in almost seven years. Personal spending, which measures how much Americans paid for everything from raincoats to meals…
More Young Adults Live With Parents Than Ever Before
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines A new report from the Pew Research Center this week found that American adults aged 18 to 34 were more likely to be living in their parents’ home than living with a spouse or partner in their own household. The report, based on Census…
The Internet Is Tough On Brick & Mortar Retailers
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines Following a very disappointing 1Q, consumers boosted spending in April to the highest levels in more than a year, accelerating their turn toward online shopping. This widens the divide between in-store retailers and Internet outlets pitching lower prices and convenience. The Commerce Department on…
Obama Sued For Failure To Release Public Documents
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines One of the most interesting things I read this week is that a new lawsuit has just been filed against the Obama administration and 11 federal agencies by a non-partisan Washington watchdog group, the Cause of Action Institute (CAI). We can all remember that…
Employee Job Satisfaction Is Highest In Over A Decade
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines Ever since the Great Recession of 2007-2009, we’ve been hearing about how bad American workers have it – lost jobs, stagnant wages, benefit cutbacks and persistent economic insecurity. No doubt those trends are true and have affected millions of families. Likewise, the Labor Department reported…
Gun Sales In America Hit Another Record In March
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines Sales of firearms in the US hit an all-time record in March, but that’s not really a surprise since monthly sales of guns have broken the previous record for 11 consecutive months. This year (2016) is widely expected to be the largest year for…