Marketplace
Marketplace
50 episodes
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 just trying to get by.
Episodes
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What's in AI's next chapter?
A few Big Tech firms are slated to explain their quarterly earnings later this week. AI will, of course, be the protagonist of these earnings calls. Investors are hoping for some positive character development, or at…
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Your 401(k) is probably invested in AI
Big Tech is kind of carrying the stock market right now, thanks to all that spendy artificial intelligence innovation. That means your retirement account is probably invested in at least some AI stocks. So we asked an…
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High risk, high rates — where's the reward?
Everyday consumers aren’t the only ones contending with rising borrowing costs. Corporations are also subject to those fluctuations — but the rates don’t rise equally across the board. In this episode, why companies…
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Small town economics clash with Big Tech agendas
In Crook County, Oregon, just east of the Cascade mountains, data centers sprawl across the high desert landscape. The area fell into economic decline during the Great Recession and some residents welcomed investment…
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The loan demand balancing act
On Tuesday morning, lenders like KeyCorp, Mercantile Bank, and Atlantic Union Bank turned in their earnings reports. Those types of regional banks make plenty of loans, especially to midsize companies. In this episode,…
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Consumer credit creep
Inflation is affecting all of us. But when costs go up, lower-income households are especially vulnerable to credit creep — that’s when consumers use credit for more and more transactions. One survey found 29% of buy…
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A view of AI, from Mumbai
India’s economy, from one perspective, has a huge leg up on the U.S.: Its workforce is young and growing. “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal visited Mumbai to learn what that growth looks like on the ground. In this…
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Where producer prices go, consumer prices are likely follow
On Thursday, we got to see the second act of our monthly inflation double feature: the producer price index. Producer prices rose 1.3% in September, which is the largest jump since 2022 — and a hint at the risk that…
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Energyflation? More like everything-flation
Inflation worsened in September, to 3.7% annually, up from 3.4% in August. Energy prices are mostly to blame, but the other slices of the economy are starting to show price stress. It’s no help that the cost to ship…
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Less coverage, more profit
UnitedHealth Group just reported Q3 earnings: Total revenue was down but profits were up. How’s it possible? A decline in Medicaid enrollment, AI-driven billing tools, and some good ol’ corporate diversification. We’ll…
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In India, a demographic golden age dawns
As the workforces of the U.S., U.K., and similar wealthy Western nations age, other countries with younger populations grow at a clip. Nowhere is this more true than India, where the median age is 29 (a decade younger…
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Surprise, you've got medical bills!
A 2020 law aimed at eliminating surprise medical expenses has shifted some unpredictable costs away from patients. The law was supposed to incentivize jointly set reasonable prices between hospitals and insurers, but…
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Don't move a muscle!
First-time unemployment claims (layoffs, basically) have come in below 200,000 for four weeks running — the longest stretch since 1969. At the same time, the economy only barely added jobs in September. Few layoffs,…
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How's the stock market doing, minus AI?
The S&P 500 has hit more than two dozen record highs this year, and it’s got AI firms to thank. In fact, it’s easy to forget that a lot of other public companies are in a tough spot. In this episode, why there’s a…
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We're stocking up
We got fresh data showing imports and inventory levels are up. Is it a sign of a strong economy, or a sign businesses are bracing for impact? In this episode, AI remains a major driver of this strange economy. Plus:…
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A tale of two deficits
Despite Trump’s best efforts (a flurry of loosely targeted tariffs), the U.S. trade deficit is widening. But why is it widening? And what does it all have to do with foreign investment in government debt and the…
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Nike's not just doing it
In Nike’s earnings report this week, the brand said it may begin shrinking its operations and laying off workers. It’s been losing market share for a while now. We look at what went wrong in the last decade. Also in…
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Inflation held steady in August. Yay?
The PCE price index (that's the Fed's preferred measure of inflation) held steady year-over-year in the latest report. Economists expected it to move up. So, why didn't it budge -- and why aren't we all celebrating?…
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OpenAI is staying private (for now)
OpenAI just announced it will delay its IPO due to ongoing AI safety concerns. But when you’re a company as big as OpenAI, where does your funding come from? In this episode, venture capital doesn’t cut it. Plus:…
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Consumer confidence slides to 12-year low
Consumer confidence fell to a 12-year low in September, according to The Conference Board. The index has been trending down for a couple years, but this latest decline was steep. One reason? Upper-middle class…
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Nvidia's record-breaking stock buyback
Apple used to be the leader in buying back shares. Now, Nvidia has broken the tech company’s record, announcing Monday that it would add $150 billion to its stock buyback program, on top of $80 billion pledged a few…
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High interest rates could balloon the national debt
What happens to government debt, the budget deficit, and the overall economy if interest rates stay elevated? For a new report, the Congressional Budget Office crunched the numbers. By 2056, public debt would grow to…
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Fed officials speak up on inflation
As Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh attempts to limit forward guidance, analysts are zeroed in on other Fed officials’ public comments. Turns out, they’ve got plenty to say. In this episode, central bankers make…
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Tension grows in the housing market
Bad news first: Mortgage rates are topping 7% and, fittingly, mortgage applications are down. On the bright side, home prices aren’t completely frozen and listings are actually up. Question is, in this stuck housing…
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Time for a diesel export ban?
Diesel costs have nearly doubled over the last year, breaking record highs. In fact, some lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to halt all diesel exports until they cool off. But experts say it's a recipe…
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The state of U.S.-China trade
President Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, and AI safety is likely to define the agenda. But what about those pesky tariffs? In this episode, we lay out the fraught trade relationship…
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Caught in the Canada trade war crossfire
The Trump administration has doubled down on its trade war with our neighbors to the North — the U.S. is set to ban the import of several Canadian products, including beer and whey protein, in a few weeks. Small…
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Home improvement stores feel the pinch
Retail sales jumped 1.2% in August after falling in July. But building materials stores — think Home Depot or Lowe’s — still saw a dip. That’s because stretched consumers are putting off “nice-to-haves,” like home…
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Bond traders take a turn in the spotlight
The yield on 10-year T-notes climbed to its highest point since 2007 on Wednesday, as the Fed raised its key rate for the first time since July 2023. Swirling inflation and uncertainty have put all eyes on the bond…
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Imports are way, way up
August marked the third-highest level of container imports to the U.S. on record. Sure, it’s usually a busy month for holiday shopping inventory, but there’s also that pesky looming inflation and ongoing tariff…
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A cast of hawkish central bankers
At this week’s FOMC meeting, it’s likely Fed governors will hike interest rates. They won’t be alone. The EU raised rates last week and Japan is expected to do the same at its upcoming meeting. These central bankers…
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Inflation trumps wage gains
The latest BLS data put real hourly wage gains at -0.3% last month, compared to last year. That’s thanks to inflation running hotter than pay raises. To make up for it, some workers are putting in extra hours or…
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What's the new normal for global oil?
Oil industry analysts were hopeful earlier this year that Trump’s war in the Middle East would be short-lived. But it’s become clear that an open flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz will require sustained…
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The case for healthcare price caps
Healthcare affordability is top-of-mind for many Americans right now. And for a long time, state legislators’ only avenue for easing that burden was through care subsidies. But what about looking at the problem from a…
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Canada taxes back
Canada levied a range of tariffs on U.S. goods Tuesday, escalating an ongoing trade war launched by President Donald Trump. It isn’t the first time the two countries have tiffed over trade, but it is, by at least one…
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As prices rise, so too does our credit reliance
Prices are rising faster than average wages in this economy, and many Americans have turned to credit to keep up. They are paying it off for now, but what happens if the Fed raises interest rates later this month? Also…
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Wage growth disappoints
This economy added twice the amount of jobs expected in August, which is good news for the labor market. Still, the latest jobs report showed average hourly earnings were up just 3.1% annually — the slowest growth in…
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Chevron's big bet
American oil giant Chevron plans to funnel $7 billion into its Venezuela operations over the next five years, with a goal of more than doubling its production in the country. In this episode, we explain what Chevron…
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Even higher diesel prices are coming
The average cost of a gallon of diesel was $5.68 on Wednesday — just 13 cents shy of a record high. Tariffs and ongoing wars are both to blame. But so is a seasonal upswing that happens every fall. In this episode, why…
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Borrowing costs go boom
Bond yields jumped to multi-decade highs in some countries this week, as market anxiety about inflation and the Iran war grows. The U.S. is not exempt from this turmoil. Borrowing rates could balloon, affecting the Fed…
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Oil markets brace for maintenance season
In Texas oil country, September usually marks the beginning of maintenance season. But with refineries running at near-100% capacity to meet increased demand, this fall might look a bit different. In this episode, can…
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The ongoing cost of ICE raids on Latino entreprenuers
It’s been more than a year since the Trump administration intensified ICE raids in immigrant communities across the U.S. Latino entreprenuers say the toll on their businesses has been worse than the pandemic. In this…
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Grass is always greener
The NFL is back in a couple weeks, and so is artificial turf. Several NFL stadiums rolled out the green carpet this summer for World Cup matches, which are mandated to be played on grass. For the 92% of NFL players who…
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How much power does the Fed really have?
Another month, another PCE report that put annual core inflation meaningfully above the Fed’s 2% target. The central bank has been fighting high inflation for more than five years now. At a certain point, you might…
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Preparing for an AI tax crisis
If artificial intelligence really does replace human labor, the U.S. could be in for a tax revenue crisis. That’s because high unemployment shrinks the pool of taxable wages. In this episode, we visit Akron, Ohio — the…
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Does Canada need new energy partners?
Fuel hasn’t been touched in the trade clash between the U.S. and Canada (yet). It’s probably because the countries have an interdependent energy relationship — American refineries rely on Canadian crude; 90% of…
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When unemployment becomes endless
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, at least 1.8 million Americans have been actively looking for a fulltime job for more than 27 weeks. That’s over six months. In this episode, two people tell us what it’s…
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Sec. Bessent's big plan to finance the national debt
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s buyback of long-term bonds was a bit of a letdown this week — the interest rates barely budged. The Treasury’s next move in its quest to rein in the national debt will be to issue a…
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Let's import some inflation
The price of imported goods, sans energy, was up 4.5% year-over-year in July. Data center buildout is driving that jump — imported computer prices were up 17%. In this episode, we explain why import price inflation is…
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Got beef?
Cattle herds are at a national low not seen since the 1950s. That’s driving up the price of beef for consumers, but it’s also affecting the companies that process cows into steaks and burgers. In this episode, why…
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