The Chicken Big Mac is flying to a McDonald’s near you

Friday’s business headlines -100424

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here’s a look at Friday’s business headlines with Jane King, who discusses the dockworkers’ strike, jobs, and a new sandwich flying in to McDonald’s for a limited time only.

Port workers strike ends — for now

The union for U.S. dockworkers and the United States Maritime Alliance have agreed to a tentative deal on wages and the union has agreed to temporarily suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15. Until then, the workers will be covered under their old contract, which expired Sept. 3.

The move ends a strike that impacted nearly 50,000 workers and snarled the supply chain for some food items, auto parts and pharmaceuticals.

Hiring slows in September

September’s jobs picture is expected to look a lot like August’s — a gradual slowdown in hiring and a modest increase in wages.

The U.S. Labor Department releases September job growth today.

Markets will be watching the report closely for indications as to whether the Federal Reserve will be able to loosen policy and lower interest rates in a gradual manner.

For the past several months, labor market indicators have been trending lower, though far from falling off a cliff.

SNAP benefits adjusted for cost of living

Users of SNAP, formerly referred to as “food stamps,” are set to see a marginal increase this month due to cost of living adjustments.

The increase depends on the size of your household and the state you live in, but overall, it can range from a boost of $1 to $4.

Recipients in Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will get slightly more.

The Chicken Big Mac is flying to a McDonald’s near you

McDonald’s is finally bringing the Chicken Big Mac to America.

Beginning Oct. 10, the sandwich — already a big hit overseas — will be sold for a limited time at McDonald’s U.S. locations. The Chicken Big Mac is similar to its beefy sibling; however, it replaces the two burgers with two tempura chicken patties. It also includes the signature Big Mac sauce, pickles, shredded lettuce and a slice of American cheese.

More than half of Gen Z buys influencer endorsed products

More than a quarter of consumers have purchased a gift based on a recommendation from a creator or influencer in the past year, according to a new study by Mavely.

That number increases to more than half when it comes to Gen Z.

The study notes that Gen Z is easily influenced, but not easily sold — 23% of Gen Z said they would need to see a product promoted four to five times before considering a purchase.