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...
Recent Episodes
377 episodes
Inflation sped up in May. What's to blame?
Inflation was up 4.1% in May, according to the BEA’s personal consumption expenditures index. We know hot energy prices, resulting from the war in Ira...
High inflation or ... high inflation?
When the U.S. launched a war against Iran, some Wall Street traders bet the ensuing energy shortages would push inflation up. Now that a ceasefire has...
A "starter" home for $1 million?
A typical starter home in nearly 250 U.S. cities is now worth $1 million or more, according to Zillow. Is that even a starter home anymore? In this ep...
Inflation is moving the wrong way
The last time Austan Goolsbee voted in an FOMC meeting, he was one of two policymakers opposed to cutting interest rates. Six months later, he doesn’t...
What's with the uptick in homebuilder incentives?
As high interest rates tamp down homebuying demand, more homebuilders are offering free appliances or upgraded hardware to sweeten the deal. Throwing...
Warsh wants to keep markets guessing. Will it work?
Kevin Warsh held his first press conference as Fed chair on Wednesday, and — unlike his precedessor — did not say what the central bank plans to do ne...
When the going gets tough, just keep spending
Retail sales were up 0.9% in May, which is a generally positive economic sign. But it doesn’t square with our reality, in which price inflation outpac...
AI corporate bonds are booming
Nvidia just joined the likes of Amazon and Alphabet in selling off billions of dollars in bonds. What do these tech giants need help financing? Data c...
Nuclear power payment plan
Nuclear energy can lower one cost that has seen rapid inflation in recent years: electricity bills. But nuclear power plants aren’t cheap to build. In...
From "How We Survive": How to Dim the Sun
Today, we’re featuring an episode from the new season of “How We Survive.”
Could dimming the sun be the key to cooling things down before the c...
The SpaceX share lock-up period, explained
SpaceX went public Friday, with much pomp and circumstance. Investors are already buying and selling the company’s stock — well, some investors. Emplo...
Gas prices will probably go up this summer
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all three economists we asked say gas prices are due for another hike this summer. The war in Iran continues to...
May CPI: glass half-empty, glass half-full
The May CPI report dropped Wednesday and it’s a doozy: Inflation rose 4.2% over the last 12 months. This means wallet pressure is bearing down on cons...
Why did BoA tell investors to "take profits"?
Bank of America advised investors late last week that too many red flags pointed to a market peak, and that it was time to “take profits.” In plain En...
Fed eyes sluggish wage growth
Averages wages grew 3.4% year over year, but at the same time, inflation as measured by the consumer price index, has been eating away at those gains....
It's not just you — healthcare deductibles are ballooning
Growing health insurance premiums, particularly for plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace, have been in the headlines as cuts to Medicaid roll...
U.S. oil inventories fall to a 22-year low
Oil inventories have fallen drastically since President Trump launched the war against Iran. But it’s not because we’re suddenly using more fuel. Inst...
Small businesses (finally) get to hiring
For a while now, we’ve talked to small business owners who say they want to hire more employees, but aren’t in a financial position to do it, can’t fi...
What happens when we lose healthcare coverage
Massive Medicaid cuts, including new work requirements, are rolling out across the country. Trouble filing paperwork will be one reason qualifying Ame...
What's sector growth without job growth?
Manufacturing production, new orders, imports, and exports were all up in May, according to the latest PMI report. The only piece of the manufacturing...
The hourly vs. salary wage gap
Hourly wages went up 1.7% over the past year, according to Indeed Hiring Lab. Salaried wages went up 2.9%, reversing a 2022 trend in which hourly rais...
"Running out of that buffer"
The personal savings rate fell to just 2.6% in April — a low not seen since June 2022, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That means Americ...
Inflation manifestation
Forget hard inflation data. Where do everyday Americans think our economy is headed? Well, one survey says consumers expect prices to rise 4.8% over t...
Why gas costs more in California than Texas
As President Trump’s war in the Middle East continues, Americans continue to face higher fuel prices. But some have it worse than others. In this epis...
The cost of SNAP restrictions
Convenience stores face new barriers to accepting SNAP dollars this year. A USDA rule aimed at providing healthier options mean some stores must choos...
Services stall as manufacturing booms
S&P Global’s flash Purchasing Managers’ Index for May reflects “a tale of two economies.” Input costs increased across industries this month, and whil...
Why do some companies wait to IPO?
Elon Musk’s SpaceX just filed to go public, and OpenAI is expected to file in the fall. Both businesses have been around for over a decade — what was...
Rising ACA premiums, falling enrollment: It's a vicious cycle
Affordable Care Act premiums are higher this year, after Congress declined to renew subsidies for the health insurance program. As a result, about a m...
What happens if the Fed goes mum
The era of frequent public speeches given by Federal Reserve officials on monetary policy may be over. Incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has expressed a...
AI chips away at cybersecurity job opportunities
Cybersecurity was once the focus of a huge workforce development push. Job opportunities and training programs were abundant. But as artificial intell...
Giving up beer to pay for gas?
New consumer data shows alcohol sales were down over 5% in April. And, as you’ve probably noticed, gas prices were up. Is there any correlation? In th...
Trump & Co. take a trip to China
President Trump arrived for trade talks in China this week with a gaggle of corporate CEOs in tow. One expert tells us Trump’s body language, tone, an...
Another inflation alarm bell
The cost of goods for the producers of this economy was up a whopping 6% in April, according to the latest PPI. That means consumers can expect more i...
When is inflation no longer "transitory?"
Inflation was up 3.8% in April, according to the latest CPI. Economists say the war with Iran has caused “transitory” inflation — that’s short-lived i...
The other shoe
Inflation and employment are the dual pillars of this economy’s health, which the Federal Reserve is mandated to evenly manage. Last week saw sunny ne...
Who's getting those tariff refunds?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has begun processing applications for tariff refunds after the Supreme Court ruled against swaths of President Trum...
The erosion of the American tax base
After the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reduced taxes for 85% of households, disproportionately benefiting high-income earners, all eyes are on the GOP’s...
What to expect in the April jobs report
The private sector added twice as many jobs in March as it did in April — it’s a promising sign in an otherwise perplexing labor market. Private secto...
Let's check in on the U.S. trade deficit
In case you forgot, President Trump's tariffs had one goal: narrow the U.S. trade deficit. Compare March ‘25 to March ‘26, and the deficit has shrunk...
Consumers might see some tariff refunds — in 2036
We’ve said from the get-go that consumers paid the bulk of President Trump’s tariffs. Now that most were ruled illegal, individual businesses will get...