Three Positive Signs

In case you missed it, there were three pieces of good news last week regarding our economy, as we move further into the holiday season and toward 2015:

• Despite mixed reports on Black Friday sales, U.S. retail sales rose by 0.7 percent in November over the prior month. The retail numbers for last month were 4.9 percent higher than those of November 2013.
• According to the monthly University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey, Americans' consumer confidence is now at its highest level since January 2007.
• Gallup's small business survey found that small business owners are the most optimistic they've been since the first quarter of 2008. The projection for increased hiring by small businesses in 2015 is the highest it's been in seven years.