This Week: Job openings, PepsiCo earns, US retail sales

A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming this week:

IN A HIRING MOOD

New Labor Department data should provide insight into employers' demand for workers.

The last Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed the number of available jobs fell 7.6% in November from the previous month to 6.8 million. Economists project the new figures, due out Tuesday, will show the number available jobs remained at about the same level in December.

JOLTS job openings, in millions, by month:

July 7.17

Aug. 7.30

Sept. 7.03

Oct. 7.36

Nov. 6.80

Dec. (est.) 6.78

Source: FactSet

MIXED RESULTS?

PepsiCo serves up its latest quarterly report card Thursday.

Wall Street predicts the food and beverage company's fourth-quarter earnings declined from a year earlier, even as revenue increased. That would echo PepsiCo's results in the previous two quarters. Investors will be listening for the company's latest earnings outlook for 2020.

SIZING UP RETAIL SALES

The pace of U.S. retail sales growth has been running at a mostly solid pace.

Retail sales increased by 0.3% in October, November and December, reflecting Americans' willingness to spend during the winter holidays. Economists forecast that the trend continued last month. The Commerce Department issues its January snapshot of retail sales Friday.

Retail sales, monthly percent change, seasonally adjusted:

Aug. 0.6

Sept. -0.4

Oct. 0.3

Nov. 0.3

Dec. 0.3

Jan. (est.) 0.3

Source: FactSet