Dismal Science
  • Home
  • Housing
  • Retail
  • Manufacturing
  • Personal Income
  • Trade
  • Employment
Select Page
Americans Are Spending Their Savings. The Jobs Market Isn’t Helping.

Americans Are Spending Their Savings. The Jobs Market Isn’t Helping.

by chrissywang70 | Mar 9, 2026 | Employment, Retail

As retail sales slipped and the job market weakened, Americans are draining their savings to cover what their paychecks no longer can. Retail sales fell 0.2% in January from the month before, the Census Bureau reported Friday, according to the retail sales data...
Winter Storms May Deepen Economic Chill After Retail Sales Stagnant in December

Winter Storms May Deepen Economic Chill After Retail Sales Stagnant in December

by chrissywang70 | Feb 28, 2026 | Featured, Retail

Retail sales growth remained stagnant in December, and economists say the downward trend will probably continue into January. Retail sales declined by approximately 0.02% in December from November, falling short of many economists’ expectations for modest...
As Prices Rise, Repair and Resale Could Become Economic Lifelines

As Prices Rise, Repair and Resale Could Become Economic Lifelines

by Quinn Waller | May 10, 2025 | Inflation, Personal Income, Retail

At Cobblestone Quality Shoe Repair in St. Louis, third-generation cobbler Randy Lipson is seeing more business than usual. With many shoes made overseas and thus hit by President Trump’s new tariffs, customers are turning to repairing the shoes they already own rather...
Retail Sales Report Shows Weaker Numbers Than Expected

Retail Sales Report Shows Weaker Numbers Than Expected

by shenal.tissera | Feb 19, 2025 | Featured, Retail

Retail sales had their worst start of the year since 2014, falling more than the modest decline expected by economists. Sales were down 0.9% from December, according to data from the Commerce Department, which includes sales online, in stores and at restaurants. But...

The Grocer Gap: Racial Disparity in the Food Distribution Industry

by Anastasia Tomkin | May 24, 2024 | Employment, Featured, Retail

It is no secret that Black Americans are underrepresented as business owners. They make up about 12.4% of the US population, but Black business owners are only 2.4% of all employer-owned firms. And while Census data shows that the number of Black-owned businesses in...
Global coffee, cacao prices reach historic highs due to climate change

Global coffee, cacao prices reach historic highs due to climate change

by Jiana Smith | May 20, 2024 | Featured, Inflation, Retail, Trade

Kinani Ahmed, owner of Sextant Coffee Roasters in San Francisco, opened his roastery in 2014 with a goal of sharing the finest coffees of Ethiopia with others.  But since the COVID-19 pandemic, that goal has become more and more expensive. The civil war in Ethiopia,...
« Older Entries

Recent Posts

  • As war in Iran erodes nitrogen fertilizer market, American farmers pay the price
  • Home buyers’ market may be emerging, but inflation keeps homes out of reach
  • Five indicators to watch in the March inflation report
  • Five things to watch for in tomorrow’s personal income report
  • Manufacturing Activity Continues Ascent as War Anxieties Tamper Confidence

Categories

About Us

Welcome to Dismal Science, a site covering the economy produced by young journalists in New York City. Email the editor Greg David at gregdavid49@gmail.com.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • RSS