Marketplace Morning Report

Productivity is on the upswing

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Labor productivity has been on a growth streak for the past year and a half. It increased 0.8% in the first quarter of this year, according to the Bur...

Will healthcare costs sway how you vote?

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you ask people what they’re most worried about affording these days, healthcare tops the list (now tied with gas). And that concern may translate...

Markets mull an end to war in Iran

06 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. and Iran are reportedly back to working on an end to the war, and sources say a deal is close. Axios reports that the deal would involve a mo...

Insurers ease up on prior authorization

06 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

United Healthcare, the nation’s biggest insurer, announced that it’s cutting back on its requirements for prior authorization by 30%. Prior author...

How ICE skirts public input on detention centers

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Immigrant detention facilities are being bought and retrofitted seemingly overnight without public input across the U.S., and there's little to no not...

The rise of the side hustle

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Roughly one in every 20 U.S. workers is holding down multiple jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's fallen a fraction of a percent...

Will students be shut out of pricier grad programs?

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Starting July 1, a cap on federal student loan borrowing limits kicks in. Graduate students will soon only be able to take out $20,500 a year, and up ...

Fewer Americans are earning a living wage

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new report from Dayforce and the Living Wage Institute found that just over half of full-time workers earn enough to provide for themselves and thei...

How student loan caps shaped one family's college decision

01 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When college-bound high school seniors commit to a school, it's always a complicated calculus, especially for families who need financial aid. But for...

The U.S. economy with fewer immigrants

01 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, more people left the U.S. than moved in — it’s the first time that’s happened in at least half a century. And 2026 is expected to see...

Big Tech knocked it out of the park

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday, we got quarterly results for some of the biggest companies in the economy, including Google parent company Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and...

Chipping away at Nvidia's chip dominance

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Big Tech week on Wall Street. Quarterly results from Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon all beat expectations. And shocker: They’re all st...

Will the Magnificent Seven have magnificent earnings?

29 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Five of the Magnificent Seven — Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Apple — are reporting earnings this week. These tech titans have kind of be...

It's farm bill time

29 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Every five years or so, Congress considers and passes a new version of the farm bill. It is a massive law covering not just agriculture, but also food...

Would a government bailout of Spirit Airlines be worth it?

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration has reportedly been in talks to bail out Spirit Airlines, either with a big loan or by buying it. The budget airline had alre...

When tariff uncertainty means nixed retirement plans

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We've talked a lot about the rollercoaster of tariffs. But behind every economic story is a human one, too. This morning, we check in with Joann Carti...

How about a roadtrip instead?

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As people look to plan their summer vacations, they're being price-conscious. While 60% of Americans plan on traveling, more people will drive instead...

A Forest Service reorg ahead of fire season

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. Forest Service is heading for a major restructure. Its headquarters are moving from D.C. to Utah, all regional offices are being eliminated, ...

Kevin Warsh and the Fed's balance sheet

24 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Reserve has two jobs: promote job growth and control inflation. To do that, it sets interest rates. It also buys bonds and securities to i...

Let's understand the informal economy

24 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When we talk about who makes up the economy, we're often talking about workers a company formally employs. But a lot of people find themselves working...

Clearing the path to homeownership for renters

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration announced a big change in how people's credit is assessed when applying for mortgages. Instead of only using FICO scores to p...

The haves and the have nots of energy

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Maybe it’s hoarding, or protectionist, or human nature. Whatever you want to call it, some countries have plenty of oil right now — especially wea...

Fearing the "black hole" of graduating without a job

22 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We're less than a month away from graduation ceremonies at college campuses across the country. But the job market college grads are entering is an un...

Will you have enough to comfortably retire?

22 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

New research shows more than a third of workers and retirees don’t think they will have enough money for their retirement years — that’s the hig...

Why markets are high despite war in the Middle East

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

JD Vance is expected to travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Tuesday for potential negotiations with representatives from Iran, but peace talks are still...

Trump's pick for Fed chair heads to Capitol Hill

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump’s nominee to head the Federal Reserve, former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, will testify on Tuesday for his nomination hearing. Warsh is...

How economists are making sense of our geopolitical climate

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Markets were hopeful on Friday after Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened to commercial vessels. Now, escalating tensions are br...

Waiting for gas prices to drop? Don't hold your breath

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Strait of Hormuz has remained largely closed, with only three sanctioned tankers making it through the waterway according to Reuters. When asked a...

Markets optimistic after Iran announces Strait of Hormuz has reopened

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iran declared on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz has reopened for all commercial vessels. While the news caused stocks to rally and oil prices to dro...

Soaring jet fuel costs could leave European planes grounded

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The head of the International Energy Agency warned on Thursday that Europe could run out of jet fuel in few as six weeks. The continent is the biggest...

What a time to be a central bank

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Reserve is meeting at the end of this month to figure out what to do with interest rates. They have a tough task ahead of them: weighing t...

The cost of keeping the lights on

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Power utilities plan to spend $1.4 trillion over the next five years on capital projects. A lot of that boils down to grid maintenance and projects to...

So many different flavors of oil

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We talk a lot about the price of oil on this show, but there are actually dozens of types of oil. On today's program, we're learning about where they ...

Tariff refunds are coming

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration says it’ll start issuing refunds for tariffs the Supreme Court ruled were collected illegally next week. Customs and Border...

The spring housing market's not in full bloom

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's springtime, meaning the real estate market is supposed to be popping. But fresh data from the National Association of Realtors shows seasonally a...

Breaking down where all your federal tax dollars go

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's almost Tax Day. And while some of us may have waited till the last minute to do our taxes, the federal government sure won't be wasting any time ...

War in the Middle East, oil, and jobs

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. has threatened a blockade of Iranian ports set to go into effect this morning. That means the supply of oil will be even more restricted than...

Doing the numbers on your grocery bill

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Grocery prices on average are up about 2% compared to this time last year. But split up the food groups, and we start to see some bigger numbers. Toma...

"Marketplace" Live

11 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly 600 Marketplace fans gathered at the Aratani Theatre in downtown Los Angeles to watch Kai Ryssdal present Marketplace Live, in partnership with...

David Brancaccio reflects on thousands of conversations

10 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

David Brancaccio has hosted an estimated 16,925 morning shows over 13 years. Now, for his final time in the host chair, David shares snippets of discu...

"Nobody can time the market"

10 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For his second-to-last time as the host of "Marketplace Morning Report," David Brancaccio spoke with the author of arguably the most influential book ...

How to freeze out scammers

09 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're returning to our 2019 Brains and Losses series, which investigated the financial exploitation of older Americans. In the years that have ...

The "chicken tax" and the U.S. auto industry

09 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1960s, the German government put a tariff on American chickens. President Lyndon B. Johnson then retaliated with a tariff on light-duty commerc...

The road less traveled (by bike)

08 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As David Brancaccio winds down his tenure as host of the "Marketplace Morning Report," he's speaking with places of work he might have ended up at if ...

Oil prices dip on de-escalation news

08 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We are now into the first hours of a two-week ceasefire in the U.S.-Iran conflict. The wholesale price of oil has plunged nearly 16%. The New York pri...

What keeps big bank CEOs up at night

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, put out his annual letter to shareholders this week. In it, the leader of the largest bank in North America ou...

Could a Universal Music takeover be in the cards?

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Billionaire activist investor Bill Ackman is making a play for Taylor Swift’s record label in a deal that Reuters values at around $64 billion. Ackm...

Keeping an eye on oil prices

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The price of crude oil is fluctuating this morning. This comes after oil producers at OPEC+ agreed to slightly increase production over the weekend. W...

Get your kicks on Route 66

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

To see the U.S. economy in 3-D, you gotta hit the open road. 100 years after the iconic highway was built, “Marketplace Morning Report” host David...

The March unemployment rate fell — but there's a catch

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. economy added 178,000 new jobs in March, and the unemployment rate went down. That’s a big improvement from last month’s disappointing jo...

A new tariff on imported medication

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday that threatened tariffs of up to 100% on imported medications. The executive order also ove...

About that presidential address...

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The president made the case for the Iran war, and markets were not impressed. After President Donald Trump's address to the nation last night, the pri...

Reflecting on the year in tariffs

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A year ago today, the president pulled out a chart in the now paved-over Rose Garden and set the global economy on fire. He announced his so-called “...

The argument for letting Chinese EVs in

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD told analysts it's confident it can sell 1.5 million vehicles outside of China this year. Chinese EVs are advanced ...

The wider consequences of war

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the nation about Iran tonight. He told reporters yesterday that the war could wrap up in two to three w...

Russian oil is giving a lifeline to Cuba

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The United States is finally allowing Russian oil to be delivered to Cuba after months of what has basically been an energy blockade imposed by the U....

The price of gas is at a three-year high

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The average price of gasoline is now above $4 a gallon for the first time in three years. Some analysts say that's a key psychological barrier, above ...

No longer a nation of movers

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Domestic migration in the U.S. has been declining for decades. This morning, we'll look into who's still moving, what factors drive their decision, an...

An entirely new oil disruption

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Oil prices continue their upward climb amid conflict in the Middle East. The international benchmark Brent crude is now $115 a barrel; on Friday, it w...

The national debt is ballooning, and Americans are worried

27 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. national debt crossed $39 trillion last week, and it’s growing fast. Racking up the most recent $5 trillion of that total only took two yea...

What's next for the USMCA?

27 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration is reviewing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which comes up for renewal this year. The USMCA replaced NAFTA, was a...

A small tax with high costs

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

People in the U.S. send a lot of money abroad: In 2024 alone, about $93 billion in formal remittances were sent overseas. However, a new federal remit...

Population growth in the U.S. is slowing

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Population growth is slowing in most counties in the U.S., according to new population estimates from the Census Bureau. During that time, 310 of the ...

ICE agents are at airports. TSA agents aren't really sure why.

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

TSA agents have been working without pay for more than a month, while ICE agents have started arriving at airports to assist with security lines. Toda...

Will this oil shock push the world more toward renewables?

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Fuel costs can be vulnerable during geopolitical conflict. The war in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through energy markets. Over the past two we...

Investors, Treasury bonds, and war in the Middle East

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Treasury Department is holding several government bond auctions this week. Treasury auctions can tell us a lot about the interest rates investors ...

The road (or light-rail) to the World Cup

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Starting in mid-June, soccer fans will flock to 16 cities across North America for the World Cup. Each match will draw tens of thousands of fans, many...

How to protect yourself from tax season scams

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's tax season. Therefore, it's also tax scam season. A new McAfee survey finds nearly one in four Americans has been a victim of a tax-related scam,...

The "Super Bowl" of energy

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Top brass at the most consequential energy companies in the world are meeting in Houston this week for the annual CERAWeek. Energy industry leaders ar...

A word to the wise for air travelers

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you're traveling in the next week or so, get to the airport early. Airport security lines are growing as workers with the Transportation Security A...

Should we expect USPS to make money?

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Postal Service says it's facing a "severe financial crisis." Postmaster General David Steiner testified before a House subcommittee this week and...

Escalation and investor anxieties

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iran attacked critical liquefied natural gas and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, including a major source of gas for Europe. It was reta...

An attempt to blunt rising oil prices

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

War continues to rage in the Middle East, and energy infrastructure is a major target. The price of oil has surged to $115 a barrel, and gas in the U....

Can jewelry ever be truly conflict-free?

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The supply chains of gold and precious gems are notoriously difficult to track. Human rights abuses and environmental devastation are often at the roo...

Do we need quarterly earnings reports?

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Why not report earnings twice a year? The Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing a proposal to eliminate the requirement for publicly traded ...

What CFPB cuts mean for you

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Two of the three major credit bureaus are dismissing a larger share of consumer complaints. At the same time, the Trump administration has attempted t...

Expect a bigger tax refund this year

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you are one of the millions of people who haven't done your taxes yet, you've got a month and a day left to file. Something to look forward to, tho...

Europe looks to step back from U.S. Big Tech

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Is Europe's reliance on U.S. tech a vulnerability? With geopolitical uncertainties growing under the second Trump administration, governments and inst...

Air travel as a political football

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

TSA agents and air traffic controllers are missing their first full month of paychecks as a result of the partial government shutdown. In response, CE...

Can Congress tackle housing affordability?

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Senate passed a bipartisan bill yesterday that aims to take on housing affordability by increasing the housing supply and cutting red tape. But it...

Tariffs come for the Friday fish fry

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Some Christians observe the weeks of Lent leading up to Easter by not eating meat on Fridays. That means that we’re in the thick of fish fry season....

Local eatery obituaries

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Data shows that chain restaurants grew by 3% last year, while smaller independent restaurants declined by more than 2% as they struggled to navigate r...

Don't forget: There's still a trade war going on

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday, the U.S. trade representative announced an investigation into unfair trade practices that could result in a whole new round of import taxes...

What supply chains are being choked off by war?

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage in many global supply chains, is basically shut down as fighting continues in the region. All this has thrott...

What war in the Middle East is costing the U.S.

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

$800 million a day. That's the rough monetary estimate of how much the U.S. military operation in Iran is costing taxpayers, according to the Penn Wha...

The view of this economy from the boardroom

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A recent survey of 100 CEOs at major companies by the audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG finds that AI and policy uncertainty around tariffs are top o...

A wild ride for oil prices

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Just to get you up to speed on oil prices: Brent Crude is at $92 a barrel this morning. Yesterday morning, it was at $117. While prices have dipped, t...

Oil prices and war in the Middle East

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Oil prices came close to hitting $120 a barrel yesterday. This morning, they're hovering around $100 a barrel. Gas prices are also up 27 cents in a we...

An eye on labor force participation

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Economists are still digesting last Friday's jobs report, which showed a loss of 92,000 jobs in February. The labor force participation rate — the p...

A month of job losses

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. economy actually lost jobs last month. The number of people on U.S. payrolls fell by 92,000 in February, with big swings in education and hea...

Gasoline and diesel prices are spiking

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

War in the Middle East has caused oil prices to spike, and — right on cue — gasoline prices have risen quickly. They’re up 34 cents in a week, ...

Health care job growth continues to be on a tear

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In pretty much every jobs report of 2025 — and on into early 2026 — health care was the most reliable job-creating sector. Some 436,000 health ...

A big year for fans of maple syrup

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Parts of the Great Lakes region have seen their coldest winter in more than a decade, and maple syrup farmers are rejoicing. The cold snap has been pe...

What you need to know about the Live Nation court case

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Department of Justice and dozens of states are accusing Live Nation — the owner of Ticketmaster — of being a monopoly, shutting out competitio...

The link between conflict in Iran and mortgage rates

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Mortgage rates dipped below 6% last week. Now, they're back up. Sudden conflict and uncertainty almost always cause volatility in the mortgage market....

What's going on with the bond market?

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When the world gets scary, investors are usually very hungry for bonds because they're safer bets than the stock market. But with the war in Iran, bon...

The economic reverberations of war

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The war with Iran continues to disrupt oil production and shipping channels in the Middle East. Today, we're unpacking the ripple effects of the confl...

Global markets respond to the attack on Iran

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Oil prices are jumping around this morning, but you can bet they're up — around 6-7%. Gold, a safehaven for investors, is up about 2%. "We're in a ...

Iran's role in the global oil supply

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. and Israel's war with Iran means a disruption of global oil markets. Iran has closed navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving hundred...

Global jitters over private credit

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

MFS, a big lender based in London, has been making risky loans and is in the British equivalent of bankruptcy. Now, investors are buying up U.S. gover...