Kaomi Goetz

U.S. retailers are looking to add more than 700,000 jobs this holiday season — about the same as last year. But retailers may have a harder time filling those jobs because of a shrinking labor pool.

Heavy rains have damaged much of the crop in the Midwest. Canned pumpkin giant Libby's says there should be enough to fill your pies for Thanksgiving, but after that, things will be tight.

Younger workers are likely to find more job opportunities and better wages. But still, it's tough out there. The May unemployment rate for teens was 17.9 percent, about triple the national average.

In Norwalk, Conn., a new hotel focusing on fitness targets business travelers who want to stick to healthy routines while on the road. It's a new niche for the hospitality industry.

Realtors are seeing reasons for optimism in the housing market. As Kaomi Goetz of WSHU reports, one historic home sale suggests the high end of the market is booming again — in Connecticut, at least.

Travelers will find gasoline prices are down considerably from last Thanksgiving. But consumer confidence is slumping too. So AAA, the auto club, says it expects to see a dip in holiday travel, compared with 2012.

A decade ago, many summer camps nationwide instituted a no-tech policy. Technology has changed since then, and social media threatens to distract kids' attention more than ever. But while kids are kept from their gadgets, behind the scenes, technology is enhancing their safety.

As lawmakers consider a sweeping immigration bill, they are taking a close look at a decades-old exchange program popular with foreigners looking for summer jobs. Critics of the J-1 visa program say it can hurt U.S. job seekers at a time when youth unemployment is at 25 percent.

The coffee giant recently partnered with the Rodarte fashion house to offer a holiday collection. It's the latest example of high-end designers teaming up with mass-market retailers to make money while showing their work to a broader audience.

With cellphones nearly ubiquitous, fewer people are relying on watches to tell time. But some retailers are doing brisk business marketing watches as fashion statements, or by appealing to shoppers' sense of novelty or nostalgia.