US consumer sentiment reached its highest level in six months, with the University of Michigan's index rising to 57.3 in February 2026. The improvement was driven mainly by wealthier Americans, who benefited from stock market gains as the S&P 500 hovered near record highs. While those with stock holdings reported increased confidence, sentiment among those without such assets remained subdued.

Job openings in December 2025 fell sharply to 6.5 million, the lowest number recorded since 2020, according to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Layoffs rose slightly, from 1.7 million to 1.8 million, while quit rates remained stable at 2%. The decline in openings highlights a cooling in labor demand as the job market continues to soften into 2026.

Industrial distributors and manufacturers have been slow to switch sources, according to the Q4 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey. Most respondents reported not significantly changing sourcing strategies amid tariff volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, with 62% reporting no change in sourcing in the past three months. Twenty-three percent of firms increased domestic sourcing for select products. Respondents cite cost competitiveness, capacity constraints and the complexity of reconfiguring supply chains as major barriers.

Walmart's $330 million modernization of its Opelousas, La., distribution center includes a commitment to retaining its current workforce while shifting employees into higher-skilled positions focused on automation, robotics and other advanced technology. The transition, part of a larger initiative to upgrade the retailer's 42 regional distribution centers, is designed to equip staff with new capabilities as the company invests in automation, ensuring employees play an integral role in the upgraded facility.

Supply chain organizations are undergoing significant transformations, as more than three quarters of global supply chain executives expect elevated levels of change and disruption to persist, according to an Accenture survey. Organizations are moving from managed systems toward more autonomous, human-led operations, driven by the need to handle ongoing disruptions. The adoption of AI and digital tools is central, as companies aim to create more resilient and responsive supply chains.

Impact Climate Technologies has launched ImpactIQ, a proprietary AI-powered takeoff platform designed to transform HVAC estimating processes. Designed specifically for ICT's operations, ImpactIQ automates the generation of takeoffs -- one of the most labor-intensive steps in project pricing. The platform leverages decades of ICT's proprietary project data, enabling faster, more consistent and insightful estimating for commercial HVAC projects.

Marketers are increasingly turning to AI to address outdated measurement methods, including attribution analysis, marketing mix models and incrementality tests, which three-quarters of US buy-side leaders say are underperforming, per IAB's State of Data 2026 report. Marketers are using AI to deliver insights faster and more strategically, although trust remains a concern, with 50% of marketers anticipating accuracy or legal challenges.

Corporate leaders estimate that slow decision-making results in a loss of at least 4% of topline revenue for about half of surveyed companies, with fewer than 10% believing the losses are less than 1%, according to a study by West Monroe Partners. The study highlights that 73% of C-suite executives believe halving decision time could boost revenue by at least 5%, and some project gains exceeding 25%.

The US job market has had a challenging start to 2026, with companies announcing significant layoffs and showing reluctance to hire. US job openings fell by 386,000 in December to the lowest level since September 2020, while companies announced 108,400 job cuts in January, the highest for the month since 2009, according to Challenger, Gray and Christmas. The number of people claiming unemployment benefits rose to 231,000 last week.

Eighty years of NAW. Two hundred fifty years of America. One industry powering it all. Our new anniversary video celebrates the story of American wholesale distribution, the companies that keep shelves stocked, factories running, hospitals supplied, communities connected, and our economy moving. Check out NAW's video!

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