Marketplace
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Marketplace
Every weekday, host Kai Ryssdal helps you make sense of the day's business and economic news — no econ degree or finance background required. "Marketplace" takes you beyond the numbers, bringing you context. Our team of reporters all over the world speak with CEOs, policymakers and regular people ju...
Episodi recenti
138 episodi
The stock market isn't the economy — but it's not nothing either
While markets are mellowing a bit, three major stock indexes closed at record highs on Thursday. Reminder: The stock market is not the economy! But it...
Why the Fed is thinking about immigration
Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell’s latest presser was all about the job market. Buried among the usual talking points, like hiring sentiment and the u...
Fed rate cut diverges from global central bank strategy
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday by a quarter point. That’s pretty much what analysts expected. But in other parts of the world...
The great decoupling
When revenue grows, hiring grows — usually. But in November, retail sector job cuts were up nearly 140% year over year, according to outplacement firm...
What's in the long-awaited farmer relief package
We now know some details about the Trump administration’s promised agricultural relief package. Central to the plan is billions in one-time payments t...
Small businesses walk an affordability tightrope
Small business owners know affordability is top-of-mind for their customers. But as margins grow narrower, keeping prices as-is isn’t always possible....
What's next for the Fed?
Changes are afoot at the Federal Reserve: President Donald Trump will name a new Fed chair in the coming year, and the central bank’s job could get co...
Small businesses pull back on hiring
Small business owners’ economic moods remain mixed. But, as is so often the case, how folks feel is different from how they act. And hard data tells u...
A Fed divided against itself
The Federal Reserve’s quantitative approach to monetary policy decisions means its governors tend to reach consensus. But in the past few meetings, so...
Too much oil, too little demand
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will hold oil production steady next quarter as global supply remains unusually high, driven by reco...
'Tis the season for credit card debt
Holiday spending tends to drive up U.S. consumers’ credit card debt. In the past, most households were able to pay down that debt come the new year. B...
Holiday hiring doldrums
Retailers don’t seem to be looking for many temp workers this holiday season. But it’s not the only sector that hires winter workers — event venues, t...
Predicting the Fed's every move
Yields on government bonds can tell us how investors think the Federal Reserve will act. In this episode, we break down what falling yields on short-,...
Much ado about affordability
“Affordability” — it’s a hot-button issue across the political spectrum. But how does one define or quantify a subjective idea? We called up a linguis...
Are more Americans working multiple jobs?
The delayed-by-the-shutdown September jobs report showed a stronger-than-expected monthly gain of 119,000 jobs, seasonally adjusted. But dig into the...
Feeding the Family (bonus episode)
For many people gathering around the table this holiday season, things feel a little different. Maybe it’s the cost of ingredients that’s on your mind...
Off-price retailers shine as consumer moods sour
TJX, the parent company of off-price retailers T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, posted excellent earnings this week, while Target cut its sales fo...
The long-awaited September jobs report arrives
The September jobs report finally arrived after a six-week delay, showing employers added 119,000 jobs — well above expectations. The BLS also recorde...
Rural hospitals were already short-staffed. Then came Trump's H-1B visa fee
The White House’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications is adding extra pressure to health care systems in rural and low-income areas. Historical...
Why we've got an eye on this week's corporate earnings
A few big box retailers report earnings soon, including Target, Walmart and Lowe’s. That could give some clarity on the state of the American consumer...
Trump's tariff turnaround
The latest in President Donald Trump’s trade war waffling? Tariff exemptions aimed at lowering Americans’ grocery bills. Affected products could inclu...
What happens when the data takes a month off?
With the government shutdown officially over, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is back at work after a 43-day hiatus. But all that missed data can’t be...
Are we spending more because we can, or because we have to?
Consumers may have revved up their spending in October, but spending more doesn’t mean getting more — prices are also up this holiday season. In this...
More labor market blues
Business owners aren’t too optimistic about the labor market, according to an NFIB survey. About a third are struggling to fill an open position, and...
Where we're at with tariffs and inflation
Despite expectations surrounding President Donald Trump’s tariffs, inflation doesn’t seem to be speeding up — though it’s hard to say for sure without...
Consumer sentiment hits three-year low
Consumer sentiment — as in, how everyday people feel about the economy — fell to a low not seen since 2022, according to the University of Michigan’s...
A 20-year record for job cuts
The firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas counted over 153,000 job cuts in this country last month — the most October layoffs since 2003. Are companies pi...
The job market keeps flashing warning signs
With no government jobs data available during the shutdown, analysts have turned to private reports for clues about the labor market. In the latest ro...
What to know as SCOTUS weighs Trump's tariffs
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday for and against the legality of President Trump’s signature economic policy: tariffs. In this...
How long until SNAP reaches kitchen tables?
The Trump administration has been court ordered to partially fund this month’s SNAP benefits, after refusing to step in during the shutdown. Emergency...
How the economy went "K-shaped"
The U.S. economy is increasingly “K-shaped.” That means the gap between the wealthiest companies and consumers, and ... everyone else, is growing. Big...
The case of the missing GDP report
With the government shutdown delaying the Bureau of Economic Analysis' third quarter GDP estimate, economists turn to Fed models and private analysts....
Nvidia: Boom or bubble?
Nvidia's market valuation surged to $5 trillion Wednesday, breaking records. The chipmaker is on fire, and it’s using its glut of resources to invest...
AI is here. Where are the new, better jobs?
Amazon and Chegg both announced layoffs this week; Chegg says AI competition was a factor, and Amazon’s CEO alluded to AI-related job cuts earlier thi...
A sluggish spin cycle
The shutdown has delayed October's durable goods report. But fear not! Michigan-based appliance manufacturer Whirlpool reported earnings today, and th...
Not everyone’s stretching the dollar the same way
Consumers everywhere are trying to stretch their dollars to compensate for economic uncertainty and inflation. However, there’s a divide between highe...
The national debt hit $38 trillion, and yes, you should care
The U.S. national debt hit a new record this week: $38 trillion. As we head toward the fifth week of a government shutdown over a congressional budget...
Why is Trump throwing money at the Argentine peso?
The U.S. just agreed to spend $20 billion on a currency exchange with Argentina. The hope? To put a lid on inflation before Javier Milei, an ally of P...
What are corporate outlooks without federal data?
Tons of major companies are reporting quarterly earnings and outlooks this week. But with federal data collection on hold, firms don’t have all the us...
How's that BLS data coming along?
Our picture of the U.S. economy grows fuzzier each day the government shutdown continues. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which publishes the most rel...