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Colorado employers may finally have found enough workers, but 1.7 open jobs remain for every unemployed worker
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado employers may finally have found enough workers, but 1.7 open jobs remain for every unemployed worker

By Tamara Chuang | The Colorado Sun Colorado received some notable mentions in the latest national job-openings report. The state had the largest one-month increases in both workers who quit jobs or left involuntarily. That helped the state rank as the second highest in the nation for workers who quit jobs and third highest for those who lost them in April, according to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, or JOLTS. The last time the state hit a 3.5% quit rate was in the summer of 2021, when the Great Resignation took hold and employers faced the worst labor shortage in years. But the frustrations employers felt with getting ghosted by new hires back then doesn’t appear to be happening today, at least from what Tony Gagliardi is hearing. As state dire...
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More retirees consider return to work in response to high inflation squeeze
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Approved, Fox Business, National

More retirees consider return to work in response to high inflation squeeze

By  Megan Henney | Fox Business A growing number of retired Americans are considering returning to work as they continue to battle chronic inflation, according to a new survey published by the Motley Fool. About 44% of respondents said they are thinking about looking for work because their Social Security benefits have not adequately kept pace with high inflation. While Social Security recipients received a 3.2% cost-of-living adjustment in 2024, retirees say they are still struggling financially, the survey findings show. That is largely because the actual rate of inflation exceeded this year's 3.2% cost-of-living bump in March, April and May. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
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In debt for dad: Consumers to show Father’s Day appreciation with $22.4 billion in spending
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Approved, Fox Business, National

In debt for dad: Consumers to show Father’s Day appreciation with $22.4 billion in spending

By Aislinn Murphy | Fox Business Scores of American consumers have fathers and father figures for whom they want to show their appreciation this Father’s Day, and according to a National Retail Federation (NRF) estimate, they will collectively splash out an eye-popping amount of money to do so. The NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics found in a survey that this year’s expected Father’s Day spending by American consumers will amount to the "second highest figure in the survey’s history" at $22.4 billion, according to a news release.  The survey found 75% of U.S. consumers expressed intentions to partake in the holiday. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
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Survey: Nearly 50% of parents with young children take on debt for Disney trip
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Approved, Fox Business, National

Survey: Nearly 50% of parents with young children take on debt for Disney trip

By Daniella Genovese | Fox Business Nearly 50% of parents with young children are going into debt after taking a trip to one of Disney's theme parks, according to a recent LendingTree report. LendingTree surveyed more than 2,000 consumers, 24% of which have gone into debt for the trip, a 33% increase from its 2022 findings. However, that figure jumped to 45% among parents with children younger than 18, according to the data. Of the parents with young children who have taken on debt, almost all of them, 83%, did so in the past five years. Parents, faced with tighter budgets and persistent inflation, "are more likely to take on debt than before," according to LendingTree. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
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Your Social Security COLA increase could be smaller than expected next year
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Approved, Fox Business, National

Your Social Security COLA increase could be smaller than expected next year

By Megan Henney  | Fox Business Social Security recipients are on track to receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) next year that is smaller than previously expected after inflation moderated more than expected in May. Mary Johnson, a retired Social Security and Medicare analyst, estimated the adjustment could be about 3%, based on May inflation data, which showed the consumer price index was unchanged from the previous month and is up 3.3% from the same time last year. Both figures are lower than expected, suggesting high inflation is loosening its grip on the U.S. economy. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
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Skilled workers are in demand; these trade jobs pay the most
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Approved, Fox Business, National

Skilled workers are in demand; these trade jobs pay the most

By Breck Dumas | Fox Business Trade jobs in the U.S. are in a renaissance with high demand for skilled workers and waning interest in college among young adults. The shortage of workers in the trades has driven up the pay, making those positions more attractive and the training a better payoff than a four-year college degree, in many instances. Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job site Indeed recently reported that the average salary for a trade job in America is $61,900, but several occupations pay much more, even just starting out. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
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Report: Home foreclosures are on the rise again nationwide
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Approved, Fox Business, National

Report: Home foreclosures are on the rise again nationwide

By  Megan Henney | FOX BUSINESS Home foreclosures rose again in May as Americans continue to grapple with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.  That is according to a new report published by real estate data provider ATTOM, which found that there were 32,621 properties in May with foreclosure filings, which includes default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions. That marks a 3% increase from the prior year, although it is down 7% from the same time last year.  "May’s foreclosure activity highlights nuanced shifts in the housing market," said ATTOM CEO Rob Barber. "While we observed a slight increase in foreclosure starts, the decline in completed foreclosures indicates resilience in certain areas." READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
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Why Colorado Safeway stores wouldn’t be run by Kroger if merger goes through
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Why Colorado Safeway stores wouldn’t be run by Kroger if merger goes through

By Bernadette Berdychowski | Colorado Politics Colorado has been one of the most vocal states against the proposed merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons — the operators of the state’s King Soopers and Safeway stores. Amidst pressure from states such as Colorado and the federal government, Kroger and Albertsons announced in April it would divest 100 more stores than originally planned to ease worries from regulators that their $24.6 billion deal would harm American consumers. But the grocers' had a unique agreement for its stores in the Centennial State. Colorado is one of two states — the other being Arizona — where Kroger plans to license the Safeway brand to another grocer. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Prices at McDonald’s are up, but fast-food giant wants consumers to know by how much
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Approved, National, The Street

Prices at McDonald’s are up, but fast-food giant wants consumers to know by how much

By Daniel Kline | The Street Perception is not reality and McDonald's  (MCD)  has faced some of the same narrative problems (perhaps without the political overtones) that the gasoline industry has. Addressing the issue, McDonald's President Joe Erlinger wrote an open letter to the chain's customers. McDonald's has faced a situation similar to that of gasoline prices, after a picture of an $18 Big Mac meal went viral. That image was real — but it's also an outlier.  "Recently, we have seen viral social posts and poorly sourced reports that McDonald’s has raised prices significantly beyond inflationary rates. This is inaccurate," Erlinger wrote.  "And for a brand that proudly serves nearly 90% of the U.S. population every year, we feel a responsibility to...
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Under new CEO, major changes could be realized at Costco
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Approved, National, The Street

Under new CEO, major changes could be realized at Costco

By Daniel Kline | The Street Costco has been almost stubborn in how slow it has been to adopt new technology. The company embraced the internet years after rivals like Walmart and Target, and it remains well behind them when it comes to its digital presence. That was due to a longstanding belief by company leadership that members did not want money to be spent on technology that could instead go into keeping prices low. It's not that the warehouse club ignored the internet and advances like guaranteed two-day, then one-day, and now same-day delivery, it just didn't see the need to invest in the required infrastructure. Costco (COST) has been clever in adding features like same-day delivery by partnering with Instacart, and it has slowly improved its website, both in what it sells ...
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