The consumer price index in September rose 0.3% from August and 3% year over year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, increased 0.2% for the month and 3% annually. Energy prices were a major driver of rising costs, with gasoline prices up 4.1% from the previous month and natural gas and electricity up 11.7% and 5.1%, respectively, from a year earlier.

US construction starts rose 3.1% in September, driven by an 11.9% gain in nonresidential building, according to Dodge Construction Network. Residential starts increased 3.6% from the previous month but declined 1.4% from a year earlier. Nonresidential starts increased 6.8% year over year. "September construction starts data marks a third month of steady improvements," said Eric Gaus, chief economist at Dodge, adding the 3% growth rate is just keeping up with inflation. Gaus noted megaprojects are driving the numbers, with a half-dozen projects accounting for 12% of September's total value.

NEFCO opened a new branch in West Monroe, Louisiana, marking the construction materials distributor's first location in the state. The 23,000-square-foot facility is one of nearly 70 NEFCO branches across the country. It will serve contractors in Northeast Louisiana and the wider region, offering a wide range of construction supplies, power tools and safety equipment.

Macy's has unveiled its most advanced automated warehouse in China Grove, N.C., spanning 2.5 million square feet and costing $640 million. The facility uses a combination of robotics from AutoStore and Knapp to pick and sort merchandise, streamlining the fulfillment of online orders and store restocking. The technology enables Macy's to consolidate shipments and reduce delivery times to under a day.

Retailers are bracing for supply chain disruptions and inventory shortages during the holiday season, with 70% of executives expressing concerns about on-time order delivery and 64% worried about having enough product to meet demand, according to an Accenture survey. Frontline workers say inventory management issues and price mismatches are their biggest challenges. Separately, many consumers plan to use generative AI for shopping, while only 5% of retailers are ready for AI-driven customer interactions.

B2B marketers are increasingly using AI not just for efficiency but also to reshape relationships with agencies, according to Marketing Week's 2025 State of B2B Marketing research, which found that just over 15% of marketers have reduced agency spending because of AI. Datel's use of AI includes digital twins for employees, while Exclaimer is shifting its expectations of agencies to be more strategic amid growing use of AI for content creation.

AI is rapidly automating tasks in white-collar roles, with some major firms already reducing headcounts or limiting new hires due to AI integration. Estimates from Goldman Sachs suggest 6% to 7% of US workers could lose their jobs to AI, with entry-level hiring in AI-exposed jobs dropping 13% since large language models became widespread. Sectors most affected include software development, customer service and clerical work. However, while job displacement is real, reports indicate new opportunities are emerging in AI development, research and robotics.

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