EY's Daco said the past few years have been marked by a mismatch in supply and demand when it comes to goods, services and even workers. Companies furloughed workers in the early pandemic and then struggled to fill jobs. David Silverman, a retail analyst at Fitch Ratings, said companies are "feeling a bit heavy as sales growth moderates and maybe even declines." Cost cuts at UPS, Hasbro and Levi all followed sales declines in the most recent fiscal quarter. "Part of companies' decision to lower their expense structure is in line with their views that 2024 may not be a fantastic year from a top-line-growth standpoint," Silverman said.

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Persons: EY's Daco, David Silverman, Levi, Fitch, Silverman Organizations: Getty, Airlines, Cox Automotive, Fitch, UPS, Hasbro, Walmart, Target Locations: U.S