USA FACTS . . .7 charts a-learnin'

Workforces before and after the holidays 'Tis the season for holiday hiring. And, according to a new report at USAFacts, January is a time for trimming the workforce. After the end-of-the-year shopping is done, many retailers shed not just their seasonal help, but workers hired before the holidays. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2011 to 2021 shows that retailers in the eight retail categories most reliant on holiday sales lose an annual average of 686,000 jobs in the first two months of the year.   Holiday retail hiring reached a peak of 761,000 employees in 2013. Learn more about holiday retail hiring in this new report.    Seven charts a-learnin' Want more retail numbers? Here's a stocking stuffed with charts on holiday shopping, the Consumer Price Index, COVID-19, travel, and more. Shoppers are finding higher prices for presents in all different categories this year. The prices for many gifts are up, from 0.6% for wine to 6.7% for jewelry.   The holiday shopping season is clearly a big deal for retailers, but this chart explains just how important December is to clothing retailers — both pre-pandemic and during the pandemic.   Now onto another kind of spending. Federal spending grew by less than 1% in fiscal year 2021. Track the history of spending back to 1980 with this graphic.   The federal government collected $3.5 trillion in revenue in fiscal year 2020 — or $10,457 per person. Ninety-one percent came from individual income, payroll, and corporate income taxes.   At least 20% of children ages 5 to 11 in the US have received their first COVID-19 vaccination since November 2.    Here's what that vaccination rate looks like nationwide: Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont all have rates at 35% or above for children 5–11.   Are you traveling for the holidays? It might cost you more than in years past, with vehicle and hotel rentals up over a year ago. Gasoline is up over 58%. However, airline travel costs are down.