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Americans are spending less money on swimming pools

Jane King – 07/05/24

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here is a look at Friday’s business headlines with Jane King where she discusses residential pools, nationwide job numbers and more.

Americans pulling back on pool spending

Many Hoosiers have big pools and enjoy their backyard oasis. According to Pool Research, there are 154,000 residential pools across the state. However, it seems more Americans are shifting their spending elsewhere.

Citing pool equipment distributor Pool Corp, CNBC says pool construction is expected to fall up to 20% this year.

Amid the pandemic, more of us were homebound and building pools to enjoy, but now more Americans are spending their money on vacations and dining out, rather than renovations.

June jobs report released Friday

The U.S. Labor Department reports June jobs numbers later this morning. Economists expected about 200,000 jobs gained last month.

CNN says the U.S. economy added 206,000 jobs in June, down from 215,000 jobs in May.

There are signs bubbling underneath that conditions could be getting softer and possibly pointing at broader economic weakness down the road.

Walmart facing class action lawsuit

Walmart must face a class action lawsuit claiming that the retailer overcharged customers with deceptive and unfair pricing practices.

The plaintiffs argue that while the price discrepancies were small, they add up to hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Walmart didn’t comment on the lawsuit.

Midwest crops affected by flooding

High water and flooding are causing crop damage to key growing areas across the Midwest. This includes Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

According to Pro-Farmer, crop consultant Dr. Michael Cordonnier says there might be a half-million to 1 million U.S. corn acres lost due to flooding.

But the flooding isn’t over. He adds planting soybeans this late would be “a risky proposition.”

Pasteurization could be key in bird flu fight

Results are showing pasteurization does indeed kill bird flu. Bird flu has been found in 200 animals and three people across 12 states.

Since the virus was detected in raw milk, the American Society for Microbiology investigated whether dairy products pose a risk to consumers.

Researchers say milk processing includes multiple layers of protection and the pasteurization can destroy bird flu as well as other more common bacterial pathogens.