By now, it should be clear that COVID-19 is not going to go away anytime soon. Consumers and businesses are getting used to living and working under the pandemic and some changes, such as the tendency to work from home, will likely be long-lasting. The economy is always evolving. However, rapid changes can be destabilizing. There will be a number of challenges in the new year. The mid-month economic reports added further to picture of a mixed recovery. Retail sales posted a stronger than expected gain in September, boosted partly by a seasonal quirk. Department store sales jumped 9.7% (-7.0% before seasonal ... (full story)