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...
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U.S.-EU relationship status: It's complicated
President Trump has announced new tariffs on European Union countries, aimed at forcing a deal for the U.S. to acquire Greenland. But the EU could res...
Skilled labor scarcity
An AI-driven construction boom is coming, some hope. But to build all that infrastructure, the U.S. is going to need a lot more construction workers,...
Trump's latest plan to lower mortgage rates
President Trump recently ordered government-backed mortgage companies (that’s Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) to buy up $200 billion in mortgage-backed se...
Finding work as a young person? In this economy?
The unemployment rate in December among people aged 20 to 24 was 8.2%. That’s up nearly a full percentage point from 2024, and much higher than the ov...
It's not just you — food prices rose 2.4% last year
The cost of food consumed at home was up 0.7% month-over-month in December, and 2.4% year-over-year. Go back five years, and grocery prices are up 25%...
The Fed under attack
The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the Federal Reserve and Chair Jerome Powell, a move Powell has since called "an unprecedent...
The weak spot in this job market
The rate of jobless Americans who’ve been out of work for over 27 weeks — also known as “long-term unemployed” — hit 26% in December, according to the...
Productivity climbs — without hiring to match
Labor economists will tell ya, productivity growth leads to more hiring. The idea is, once a company is operating more efficiently, they’ll try expand...
Labor market anxieties grow
The job market has been steadily losing steam and workers have noticed. Though the unemployment rate remains fairly low, some groups are experiencing...
Corporations expected to take on record debt in 2026
This year, amid ongoing economic uncertainty, corporations are expected to refinance old debt, invest in artificial intelligence, and prep for mergers...
Markets shrug off U.S. capture of Maduro
Disruptive geopolitical events often push investors to jump into bonds or sell off stocks temporarily. But when the U.S. military captured Venezuelan...
States tighten SNAP rules in 2026
By the end of the year, at least 18 states will restrict the use of SNAP benefits to purchase “non-nutritious” food and drinks. But the definition of...
The year in charitable giving
The winter holiday season is a key time for nonprofit fundraising — an estimated 30% of annual giving happens in December. But in 2025, highly publici...
What's next for the job market in 2026
Total jobless claims fell last week, which is the second-lowest reading in the last two years. Experts, though, say it’s likely a seasonal blip — espe...
Good news for prospective homebuyers
Home price growth is cooling, new reports show. Though homeowners may be struggling to sell at asking price, it is good news for prospective buyers. E...
A glimmer of hope for the housing market
The housing market is showing modest improvement, with pending home sales rising over 3% in November and prices growing just 1.2% year over year. Risi...
'Tis the season of holiday bonuses ... for some
The number of workers recieving end-of-year bonuses is falling. Some of that has to do with shifting workplace norms and some is related to this tight...
The weather outside is frightful (so's the heating bill)
The average cost of heating is expected to jump more than 9% this winter, according to projections from the National Energy Assistance Directors Assoc...
The job market won't start fresh in 2026
The labor market has been tightening all year, and Americans have grown increasingly anxious about their ability to find new jobs. A bit of good news?...
U.S. GDP sees healthy growth
From July through September, U.S. gross domestic product rose 4.3%, the highest in two years. At a time when many consumers are feeling economic press...
U.S. dollar down, gold hits all-time high
Gold surpassed $4,400-per-ounce for the first time Monday. Prices are up 60% in 2025. In the same year, the value of the U.S. dollar slipped 9%. What...
The 2025 consumer sentiment rollercoaster
Consumer sentiment really ran the gamut this year. But right now, Americans are feeling almost as bad about the economy as they were when inflation wa...
That CPI report got a Black Friday discount
November inflation data came in lower than expected, according to the latest CPI report. But we can’t compare it to the previous month, since the BLS...
Oil flow or oil freeze?
A U.S. blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers may sound disruptive, but global oil is plentiful, and Gulf Coast refiners remain tied to Venezuela’s heavy...
Unemployment hits four-year high
The U.S. unemployment rate climbed to 4.6% in November, according to the latest BLS jobs report. There’s also data showing more Americans are reenteri...
Time to strike out on your own?
IRS filings for new business applications have been climbing the past few months — particularly in the retail sector. The last time we saw a spike lik...
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...