Weekly Digest – August 10, 2022

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward.

Payrolls increase in July

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday that hiring in July was far better than expected, with payrolls increasing by 528,000. The surprising number is a sign of strength for the jobs market.

Workers in only two industries making wages in line with rising inflation

New figures show that only workers in the leisure/hospitality and retail industries are coming out ahead with their wages, after accounting for inflation. These sectors are also the only ones with staffing levels still far below pre-pandemic levels.

Amazon buys Roomba for $1.7 billion

The all-cash deal was approved last week. There is speculation that Alexa will be able to control the robot vacuums, in Amazon’s latest move to expand its offering of smart home devices.

Stocks fall after July jobs report is better than expected

The volatility continued last week, with the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all slumping. Tech stocks were also down but energy and bank stocks were up, as investors tried to make sense of what a strong labor market means for the Fed’s rate-tightening campaign.

Twitter skewers Musk for trying to kill deal

A new court filing from Twitter dismisses every complaint Elon Musk has made about Twitter since backing out of his botched $44 billion offer to purchase the company, saying they are “factually inaccurate, legally insufficient, and commercially irrelevant.”

Current market causes uptick in people choosing to “unretire”

Whether it’s money worries or just an unexplainable drive to keep working, more and more Americans are choosing to return to the workforce after retiring. Kiplinger has put together a guide to returning to the workforce.

Bed Bath & Beyond discontinues private brand

In an attempt to reverse falling sales, Bed Bath & Beyond launched the private label Wild Sage just a year ago. That brand has now been discontinued, and is likely just the first in a slew of changes for the retailer as it struggles to overcome supply chain issues and declining sales.

High hopes for a $3 gallon of gas

Gasoline prices have fallen for over 50 consecutive days, and could fall below $3/gallon this week. The lower price is welcome as more people than ever struggle amidst rising inflation rates and other costs.

Tax deadline extended for storm victims

The IRS announced last week that storm victims in parts of Kentucky now have until November 15, 2022, to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. Details can be found here.

Life savings locked up in Celsius

More and more customers are speaking out about how their assets have been locked up in Celsius since the crypto giant froze their accounts and then declared bankruptcy in July. Many are saying their life savings are inaccessible.

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