Economists at EY-Parthenon forecast a modest 2.5% increase in holiday spending, but it’s due in part by gifts being more expensive this year. So what are budget-minded shoppers to do?

The payroll processing firm found in its latest National Employment Report that the labor market just keeps going downhill, with most of the job losses hitting small and medium-sized business the hardest.

It could signal that wage and other cost pressures are easing or that sales are weakening and the economy is slowing.

How some other big economies are handling rising prices.

Big businesses can rely on reams of data to figure out how much to raise prices. Small business owners don’t have that luxury.

In Minneapolis, prices rose just 1.8% in the past year. Compare that to Miami, where inflation is at a whopping 9%.

A labor shortage and a relatively strong economy contribute to high prices. Some experts worry about inflationary expectations.

In 2021, the Istanbul Political Research Institute found that 12% of Turks over 65 were still working, in part because pensions are not adequate.

So far, price increases have not driven customers away. But there’s evidence that is starting to change.

Retailers’ financial results show weaker spending on nonnecessities like electronics. Here’s where consumers are pulling back.