The Week Ahead

Networking expert Diane Darling offers advice on how to get the most out of your contacts, both online and off, at noon at www.boston.com/bighelp.

Ed Malmborg, the Massachusetts director of unemployment assistance, takes your questions at noon at www.boston.com/bighelp.

Job Doc Roni Noland provides suggestions on how to go in a new direction amid a bad economy, at noon at www.boston.com/bighelp.

The Commerce Department releases its retail sales report for December. Sales at US retailers probably fell in December for a sixth consecutive month as the recession headed into a second year.

The Federal Reserve releases industrial production data for December. Output at factories, mines, and utilities probably fell 1 percent, according to a Bloomberg survey.

The Labor Department releases the December consumer price index. A Bloomberg survey suggests the index fell 0.9 percent, for a third straight monthly decline.