Marketplace
American Public Media
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.
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.
Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Description:
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.
Twitter:
@MktplaceRadio
Language:
English
Contact:
261 South Figueroa Street #200 Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 621-3500
Email:
Letters@marketplace.org
Episodes
Economically stressed, but still spending
11/25/2022
Despite inflation and rising interest rates, consumers are still spending as if they were awash in cash. But now they’re using credit cards, spending more on necessities and less on luxuries. Want more economic data? Plenty will come out next week. Plus, what melting ice means for Greenland, a day care center that saved itself by temporarily closing, and the Weekly Wrap.
Duration:00:28:00
Rising rates and real estate, global edition
11/24/2022
As central banks around the world raise interest rates to fight inflation, it’s taking a toll on real estate markets far and wide. Today, we’ll map out where housing markets are stalling and where they’re finding buyers. Plus, retailers cautiously mark down goods, a classic chair gets an eco-friendly redesign and a novelist charts how humans would respond to an environmental catastrophe.
Duration:00:29:12
Untangling an economic puzzler
11/23/2022
Unemployment claims are at a three-month high, which isn’t a great sign for the economy. But orders for durable goods — like auto parts and manufacturing equipment — were higher than anticipated in October. We’ll try to make sense of the economy’s mixed signals in today’s episode. Plus, a price cap on Russian oil fuels disagreement, “wonky” produce gains traction in the U.K., and small businesses make themselves holiday-ready.
Duration:00:29:44
A mystery gold rush
11/22/2022
An unknown buyer, or buyers, has been purchasing a lot of gold recently. About 400 tons changed hands in the third quarter, worth more than $20 billion. Sure, countries can use it to pay for imports during a crisis or evade U.S. sanctions, but who would want to and why? Plus, borrowers fret over high interest rates, streaming services are in a bind and marshmallows pose a sticky question for tax policy.
Duration:00:29:29
A preview of the wonky holiday season ahead
11/21/2022
These are still not normal times, and that means a not-quite-normal holiday season. Thanks to inflation, holiday shoppers are getting less bang for their buck, while a pilot shortage is causing major headaches for travelers and regional airports. Today, we’ll unwrap what’s in store. Plus, a CEO succession lesson courtesy of Disney, the FTX debacle worsens crypto trust issues and the threat of eroding beaches.
Duration:00:28:19
The workers the remote work revolution left behind
11/18/2022
The transition to remote work during the pandemic could have offered tribal communities an opportunity to curb the outmigration of young people. Yet Native workers have disproportionately been left behind. Today, a closer look at the causes and costs. We’ll also take stock of the week that’s been, dig into booming apartment construction and unpack new guidelines for relieving student debt in bankruptcy.
Duration:00:29:07
Ticketmaster, monopolies and the wrath of Swifties
11/17/2022
There’s bad blood between Taylor Swift fans and Ticketmaster after the site was nearly overwhelmed by fans trying to nab concert tickets. But the company is also drawing ire from elected officials who call it a monopoly. Today, how Ticketmaster cornered the market on live events. Plus, Starbucks workers go on strike, the FCC readies an updated broadband map and one reporter documents her return to China’s zero-COVID bubble.
Duration:00:28:05
“A microcosm for what’s happening in retail”
11/16/2022
Target released disappointing quarterly numbers today. Revenue growth slowed as shoppers contend with inflation, and the CEO warned of a slow holiday season. Could Target’s results be the ghost of holiday shopping yet to come for retailers? Also, companies find solutions to crowded warehouses, chief diversity officers grapple with a lack of support and international students return to U.S. colleges.
Duration:00:28:29
Would you wish your job on your worst enemy?
11/15/2022
Nearly 40% of workers wouldn’t, according to a new survey. The pandemic dramatically shifted people’s relationships to and feelings about work. In this episode, a look at bleak workplace attitudes and what’s driving them. Plus, what surging metal prices mean for the global economy, how a slowing housing market affects city taxes, and why low levels on the Mississippi River are problematic for agricultural supply chains.
Duration:00:28:44
The economic backdrop of the Biden-Xi meeting
11/14/2022
President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the G-20 summit today. Tariffs and other restrictions have hampered the already complex relationship between the two countries. Today, we outline the economic stakes of their conversation. Plus, a shortage of electrical transformers frustrates utility companies, the failure of FTX provides a painful lesson for cryptocurrency investors and retailers hope for predictability this holiday season.
Duration:00:29:38
A sinking feeling about selling Twitter’s debt
11/11/2022
When Elon Musk purchased Twitter, he borrowed billions. Now, the banks that helped finance that purchase are trying to offload those loans, but potential buyers are offering a sharply lower price of 60 cents on the dollar. Investors are wary of the risk after Musk’s first weeks as Twitter CEO. Also in today’s episode, a look back at this week’s economic data, a review of Amazon’s cost-cutting strategy and a warning for buyers in the crypto-sphere.
Duration:00:29:13
Better than expected, still a long way to go
11/10/2022
October’s consumer price index contains a glimmer of hope. Though prices are still on the rise, inflation may finally be starting to moderate. On today’s show, what to make of one month’s worth of mildly good news. Also on the program: a computer chip oversupply, a pulse check of the real estate market and a lab trying to disaster-proof buildings.
Duration:00:29:01
Corporate growing pains
11/9/2022
After rapid growth during the pandemic stalled, Meta announced that it’s slashing 13% of its workforce. It’s not the only company cutting staff and grappling with dashed expectations. Today, we’ll interrogate the sustainability of the more-is-more approach to corporate growth and what it means for the folks being laid off. Then, a crypto exchange crash, inflation’s impact on medical insurance and a firsthand account of identity theft.
Duration:00:28:49
The milestones COVID delayed
11/8/2022
It can be overwhelming to take stock of everything — and everyone — lost during the pandemic. But how do you quantify the time lost? For millennials, the sequestered years are ones traditionally marked by major life events, like marriage or having children. Today, we’ll tally the costs. Plus, small-business owners feel cautious about the economy, AMC Theatres strikes a deal with Zoom and trade schools see enrollment spikes.
Duration:00:29:10
Are Big Tech layoffs an economic bellwether?
11/7/2022
Tech giants Twitter, Stripe and Lyft slashed jobs last week, and Meta will reportedly follow suit. It’s a reversal of the sector’s pandemic hiring spree and could be an indicator of wider cuts across the economy. Plus, conservative groups spend big on school board elections, Florida’s cultural institutions try to recover after Hurricane Ian, and a Supreme Court case threatens the Indian Child Welfare Act.
Duration:00:29:40
How low should wage growth go?
11/4/2022
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell received some welcome news in today’s jobs report: Wage growth is slowing a tad. The gains certainly aren’t as low as the Fed is hoping for, but the moderation could be a hint that the job market is starting to cool off. Plus, Twitter provides an example of how not to go about layoffs, and YouTube’s copyright tool sparks frustration for musicians.
Duration:00:28:26
Potential holiday travel hiccups … already
11/3/2022
Ahead of the holiday travel season, pilots at two major airlines rejected tentative contracts this week, and a third voted to authorize a strike. Pilots are bargaining for better wages and quality-of-life provisions, all while clocking record-high overtime and grappling with staff shortages. Also in this episode, worker productivity gets a boost, graphite shortages are bad news for EVs, and extreme heat threatens low-income households in Miami.
Duration:00:27:13
Not a matter of “when” but “how high?”
11/2/2022
The Federal Reserve announced another interest rate increase today. On the program, we’ll unpack the key questions on Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s mind as he guides the central bank in its quest to quell rising prices. Then, it’s back to Buffalo, New York, where we visit a food truck providing better access to fresh produce and reflect on what economists could learn from the people behind macroeconomic data.
Duration:00:28:02
Not quite what the Fed’s looking for
11/1/2022
A cooling labor market means cooling inflation — at least in theory. But fresh data shows that job openings are growing and the quits rate remains high. Today, we’ll dig into the implications for workers and the Federal Reserve. Then, we’ll travel back to Buffalo, New York, to hear how the pandemic has altered the trajectories of a global hospitality company, a small inn and a young worker.
Duration:00:26:17
A view of this economy from Buffalo, New York
10/31/2022
We spend a lot of time on this program talking about the big-picture data of this economy. But data doesn’t tell the whole story. Today, we travel to Buffalo, New York — a city where low-wage workers have enjoyed wage growth of more than 40% in the past few years — and hear how workers along one street are navigating inflation, the labor market and recovery from the pandemic.
Duration:00:26:58