Tapped.

I suppose this story dovetails nicely with my PJM column today:

American shoppers have a way of rallying when the holidays roll around. But years after the Great Recession, consumers’ budgets remain badly squeezed by flat wages, higher payroll taxes and a weak job market.

“It’s been a tough year for consumers overall,” said Target Chief Financial Officer John Mulligan. “They started the year with the payroll tax increase, and lower and middle-income consumers bore the brunt of that. They were already stressed. The economy has improved slowly over time, but it’s been a choppy recovery for sure.”

We’ve been Scrooged.