Labor & Employment

New York -- After nearly a year of steady gains, the Deloitte Consumer Spending Index (Index) fell in November due to a slowdown in the rise of new home prices and an accelerating decline in real wages. The Index tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.
 

Cargo volumes at U.S. ports are forecast to increase 3.9% this month following a 5.6% decline in November. That’s the good news, but now retailers and suppliers have to worry about the possibility of a strike at East coast ports.

The strike by workers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach negatively affected container volumes in November, but resolution of the strike after eight days meant disruption in December was limited to just two days, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report compiled by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — New York Mets baseball executive Paul DePodesta is the newest member of the Sears Holdings board.

Although his qualifications are somewhat unconventional, DePodesta was elected to the board because his experience as VP of player development and amateur scouting for the Mets is believe to help Sears Holdings in the area of personnel development.

Shoppers in many markets have to drive past one of Dollar General’s more than 10,000 stores before they get to their local Walmart, a situation that will intensify in 2013.

Dollar General is opening stores so fast its store count sometimes changes multiple times throughout the day. It surpassed 10,000 units earlier this year and by the end of the company third quarter on November 2, it had opened 479 out of 625 stores planned for 2012. Next year, 635 new units are planned and by the end of next year the company’s store count will be in the vicinity of 11,000 stores.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates found that cargo volumes at U.S. ports are forecast to increase 3.9% in December following a 5.6% decline in November.

According to the monthly Global Port Tracker report, container volumes were negatively impacted in November by the West coast strike by workers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, but resolution of the strike after eight days meant disruption in December was limited to just two days.

New York -- The Jones Group Inc. announced Wednesday it has promoted Aida Tejero-DeColli to the newly created position of chief people officer, effective immediately.

Tejero-DeColli will continue to lead all efforts supporting human resources activities at Jones, including talent acquisition and management, training and development, and associate compensation, benefit and recognition programs.

Tejero-DeColli began her career with Jones Group in 1994 as director of human resources and most recently served as EVP human resources.  

Riverside, Calif. -- Chicago-based General Growth Properties announced it has named Jim Fuson as the new general manager for Galleria at Tyler, located in Riverside, Calif.

Effective September 2012, Fuson as general manager is responsible for the overall shopping center with primary focus on development, leasing, and increasing the value of the asset.  In addition, he will be overseeing the administration, operations, marketing, business development, capital improvements and the strategic plan developed for the center.
 

WASHINGTON — Top officials at Johnson & Johnson and the Food and Drug Administration are among those to receive service and leadership awards from the Food and Drug Law Institute. The honorees include Minnie Baylor-Henry, worldwide VP for regulatory affairs at Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics; John M. Taylor III, counselor to the commissioner, Office of the Commissioner, FDA; Alan Bennett, managing partner of the Ropes & Gray DC office and Thomas O. Henteleff, managing partner of Kleinfeld, Kaplan and Becker.