What a difference three months make. Last Friday, the U.S. Labor Department released its monthly jobs report shocking economists and experts everywhere. In March alone, the economy added 916,000 jobs, up from the 675,000 most expected. January and February gains were...
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Postal Service Indicates Layoffs Could Be on the Horizon
The U.S. Postal Service is leaving the door open to involuntary layoffs as it seeks to downsize its managerial and administrative staff, part of an ongoing effort to reorganize the agency. USPS first announced it would offer voluntary early retirement to eligible...
SBA Increases Small Business COVID Relief Loan Limit From $150,000 to $500,000
Small businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic will now be able to apply for up to 24 months of relief totaling $500,000. Previously, the Small Business Administration limited the relief to six months worth $150,000. SBA administrator Isabella Casillas...
USPS chief DeJoy said to cut post office hours, lengthen delivery times in 10-year plan
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy will unveil the largest rollback of consumer mail services in a generation as part of his 10-year plan for the U.S. Postal Service, according to two people briefed on the proposal, including longer first-class delivery windows, reduced...
U.S. Service Industries Expand at Slowest Pace in Nine Months
Growth at U.S. service providers slowed to a nine-month low in February as companies grappled with logistical challenges and rising prices at the same time a stretch of severe winter weather gripped much of the nation. The Institute for Supply Management’s services...
Millions Will Have to Change Jobs to Keep Up
The pandemic has sped up transformations in the labor market that could force more than 10% of workers in the United States into a new line of work, according to a new report. In the U.S., 17.1 million people will likely need to change jobs in the future, a 28%...
What recovery? Garment factories are fighting to survive
Clothes retailers in Europe and America sit on excess inventory and cut back on spring orders. Sourcing agents face late payments. Garment factories in Bangladesh are on the rack. The global apparel industry, reeling from a punishing 2020, is seeing its hopes of...
Deep Low-Wage Job Losses Create Phantom Raises
Jobs lost during the pandemic are so skewed to lower-income Americans that the average wage didn’t suffer in this tough economy like you might think. In fact, it’s misleadingly high, now topping $30 an hour. Average hourly wages in the U.S. continued to increase in...
What’s the Future of Traditional Retail?
Did the events of 2020 and the associated changes in shopping behavior break the classic brick-and-mortar retail model? The combination of Covid-19 lockdowns, supply chain problems, and economic woes accelerated digital retailing in several areas of the economy. While...
U.S. Retail Spending Declined The Most Since Historic Plunge In April
U.S. retail spending declined the most since a historic plunge in April, as new coronavirus surges restricted outings to stores and restaurants. Retail sales dipped 1.1% in November compared to a month earlier, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. However, spending...
NCTO Welcomes House Passage Of NDAA Conference Report; Urges Swift Senate Passage
The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber through finished sewn products, welcomes House passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of Fiscal Year 2021. “We applaud the House of...