April Retail Holds Up, the Grad Hiring Boom Is On, and the Memorial Day Demand Test

April retail and food services sales hit $757.1B, up 4.9% year over year, but discretionary categories like furniture, clothing, and autos are dragging — the consumer is showing up where they have to and pulling back where they don't. The small business grad hiring season is in full swing: 974,000 hires through September, average starting pay $65,734. And Memorial Day weekend is the first real demand test of summer — staffing, inventory, and weather are the three pressure points. Three stories, five minutes, done.