by Calculated Risk on 1/15/2008 08:59:00 AM

From the Census Bureau: Advance Monthly Sales for Retail Trade and Food Services

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $382.9 billion, a decrease of 0.4 percent (±0.7%)* from the previous month, but 4.1 percent (±0.7%) above December 2006.

Another indication that the recession probably started in December 2007.