Job concerns expected to weigh down retail sales

On Tuesday the Commerce Department will report retail sales for June, and economists polled by MarketWatch are looking for a gain of 0.5%, matching the prior month's result. But gasoline prices are pumping up the sales figures, economists said.

"Steep ongoing job losses, tight credit availability and ongoing consumer deleveraging should keep weighing on personal consumption through the third quarter of 2009," analysts at CIBC World Markets wrote in a research note.

Stressed consumers are saving, economists said. (more)