The national economy has been weak and slowing for the last three years.  The national unemployment rate has been hovering at a higher level for two years.  Although stock indices such as the Dow Jones 500 have displayed a great deal of volatility in the last year, most experts featured on the High Street Panel in the March 19xx issue of Economic Trends Today forecast stable and/or decreasing corporate earnings.

Unemployment is increasing across the United States.  Net job creation has leveled off.  According to the March 19xx issue of Economic Trends Today, average household disposable income should decline 0.25% in the next two years.  Moreover, the economic outlook for the nation for the next five years is somewhere between guarded optimism and unfavorable.

The soft economy is fueling parents’ frugality and focusing attention on getting more from less.  In this spirit, parents are looking for toys to provide education as well as entertainment. The November, 19xx issue of  Retailer’s Guide to the World explicitly documents this trend in a national survey conducted last year.