Economic Insights – January 2013

Where does the U.S. economy stand at the beginning of 2013, and what can we expect going forward?

Consider the following:

At present, the economy continues plodding along with painfully slow growth.

Overall retail sales were up 0.3 percent in November, held down by falling gas prices. Excluding gasoline, retail sales were up 0.8 percent, the second-best month in 2012. When Hurricane Sandy approached and hit in late October, consumers held off on big-ticket purchases, so autos, furniture, and building materials all fell. A.....