This is CBS, I on the world. I'm John Batchel. The Scholar Report was CEO Chris Regal of Scholar.com, a global technology firm in the retail sector, watching the occupied continents for changes of direction.

We have a jobs report at last after Washington decided to go back to work.

U.S. adds 119,000 jobs in September, but unemployment hits four-year peak.

Chris, a very good evening to you.

The trenchant remark of this report is there's something in it for everyone.

They're thinking of the Federal Reserve decision that may or may not come with clarity,

December 9 and 10, next month.

However, I recall an anecdote you told me

maybe a year, maybe two years ago,

of a large retail chain doing very well,

projecting out six, nine, 12 months,

and making decisions not to build out, I believe, it stores, or to restrain in some fashion hiring.

Most recently, several large chains, targets one of them, have announced layoffs.

Is that they could see AI a year or two ago, or is that the slowing economy?

Can we tell the difference anymore? Good evening to you, Chris.

Good evening, John. In retail, you always have to separate the performance versus the non-performance retailers.

Targets challenges are principally more target-related.

That being said, there's a bigger macro issue across the consumer segment that consumers are challenged with liquidity, challenged with high debt.

So while there is a Wall Street surge in the economy, and the economy is very rosy there,

on Main Street for consumers,

especially younger consumers. There's quite a bit of pressure that you're seeing reflected

not only in retail numbers, but also in some of the service and hospitality businesses like

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