Marketplace

Hear that? It's productivity number noise

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

American worker productivity grew a modest 2.4% in the second quarter of the year. Good news, right? Well, take a look at the math, and the last few m...

Should we fret over rising household debt?

06 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The latest household debt report from the New York Federal Reserve is in. Delinquencies are on the rise — specifically, student loan delinquencies s...

The oil-natural gas conundrum

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. oil and natural gas industry is at a crossroads. As oil demand appears poised to plateau, natural gas demand is in a period of tremendous gro...

Take it with a grain of salt

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As President Donald Trump puts political pressure on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, experts worry BLS data will become less trustworthy. Economists f...

Trump's jobs report retaliation "raises alarm bells"

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Bureau of Labor Statistic’s July jobs report came in far below expectations. May and June’s counts were also revised down significantly. What’...

Anomaly or omen?

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Employers announced around 62,000 job cuts in July, according to a report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That’s up nearly a third from June,...

Let's take a hard look at that GDP growth

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. GDP grew at a healthy clip in the second quarter of 2025. But a mathematical equation can’t convey nuance — like, say, six months of tariff c...

Consumers are still stressed about the job market

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Consumer confidence ticked up in June, according to The Conference Board. At the same time, confidence in the labor market weakened for a seventh cons...

How are lenders and borrowers feeling?

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Since it’s unlikely the Fed will make any interest rate moves at this week’s meeting, it’s safe to assume rates will stay up for at least a whil...

AI and 'surveillance' pricing

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dynamic or 'surveillance' pricing is a relatively common practice. But what's changed is the sheer volume of our personal data available online, and h...

The dangers of fiscal dominance

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump wants lower interest rates now, but what could that mean for the economy? "Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal speaks with Neil Irwin at Axi...

A new trade deal with Japan

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Under the new agreement, American consumers will now face a 15% tax on Japanese imports — a major jump from the 1.5% rate set back in 2019. The Whit...

What's at stake if the Federal Reserve loses its independence?

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal speaks with Greg Ip at the Wall Street Journal about growing threats to the Federal Reserve's independence — and why ...

Looking for economic clues in corporate America

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We like to say it a lot here at Marketplace: the stock market is not the economy. But it can help tell us how the economy is doing — if people and b...

Will August bring a wave of trade deals or a hike in tariffs?

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’re starting to see the first real evidence of President Trump’s tariffs showing up in consumer prices. But are these manageable, one-time price...

How immigration can bolster an aging workforce

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As a nation’s workforce grows older, innovation and delayed retirement can keep economic gears turning. But so can immigration. In this episode, “...

Can robots help us care for an aging population?

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The number of people 85 years and older is expected to double in the U.K. over the next couple of decades. Apian, a London-based health care logistics...

Want to understand our aging workforce? Look to the U.K.

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

By 2050, around a quarter of people in the U.K. will be 65 or older — about ten years before the U.S. reaches that milestone. For our ongoing “Age...

Who pays for tariffs?

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Up and down the supply chain, companies are facing a dilemma: Should they absorb tariff surcharges and keep prices down, or pass on the cost to custom...

The GOP slashed $1 trillion from Medicaid's budget. What now?

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Medicaid budget just lost about $1 trillion. Eleven million more Americans will go uninsured, the CBO estimates, and those who remain Medicaid-eli...

Reliable earnings outlooks? In this economy?

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When companies release earnings reports, they often predict where they’re headed next, profit-wise. Lately, thanks to all that pesky economic uncert...

Let's get a grip on the labor market

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The June jobs report gave a sunny picture of the labor market. But if you’re, say, looking for a job right now, you may see things a bit differently...

RIP to the EV tax credit

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A tax credit for electric vehicles was killed under the latest GOP tax and spending bill. It's a credit that has existed in some form for nearly 20 ye...

The consequences of tariff uncertainty

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump officials signaled tariffs will be once again postponed, possibly to August 1. But as the White House nails down details, some businesses are su...

What happens when states manage public land?

04 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some conservatives think states should take over management of federal land. But often, states lack adequate resources, or use land for revenue rather...

Fear of ICE raids keeps California farm workers on edge

03 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On California farms, ICE raid fears persist — at least half of the state’s crop workers are undocumented. As a result, the farms that grow three-q...

Reading the labor market tea leaves

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Consumer spending sputtered in May, likely thanks to tariffs and related uncertainty. Not only does that give us a clue as to where GDP is headed, it ...

Time for a national debt history lesson

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Senate just narrowly passed the latest version of the GOP tax and spending bill, and the House will vote on it tomorrow. Nonpartisan experts at th...

An American manufacturing road trip

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Several regional Fed offices reported soft or stagnant manufacturing activity this spring. Tariffs, immigration policy and other uncertainties are dri...

All eyes on the inflation data

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a big week for economic data, with key reports on GDP, PCE, retail sales and consumer sentiment numbers. Bloomberg's Kate Davidson and the W...

Finding work is tough in a stalled labor market

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing unemployment claims just hit nearly two million — the highest number since November 2021. There’s not much hiring right now and workers...

Prepping for all possibilities

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just two weeks out from the Trump administration’s tariff pause deadline, no one is quite sure what to expect. In this episode, experts weigh in on ...

Consumers couldn't turn frowns upside-down for long

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index dropped in June. That’s after a brief reprive in May from a monthslong downward slide. Uncertaint...

Despite Iran conflict, U.S. oil production is unlikely to budge

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After launching air strikes on Iranian unclear facilities over the weekend, President Trump posted to Truth Social, demanding that U.S. oil firms “d...

Auto repair shops struggle under Trump's tariffs

20 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the “tariffs the Trump administration has announced and actually put into long-term effect” category? A 25% tax on some automotive parts. In th...

Home sales grow less competitive

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This spring, just 28% of U.S. homes sold above asking price, according to Redfin. That’s the lowest spring rate since 2020. The trend toward selling...

Break glass in case of oil price shock

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Fed kept interest rates as-is today, and Chair Powell said policymakers are “well-positioned to wait” before making another move. But what if ...

Food banks tackle summer break hunger

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a busy time for food banks — without school breakfast and lunch programs, more families lean on them. But between millions of dollars slashe...

The Fed's got an interest rate decision to make

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Open Market Committee meets later this week, and it’s pretty likely they’ll examine why tariffs didn’t drive inflation up in May. Th...

Shipping costs are up. Thank Trump's seesawing trade policy.

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When President Trump slapped sky-high tariffs on goods from China, exporters rerouted ships elsewhere. Now that those tariffs are on pause, shipping c...

No, the Fed should not stop paying interest on reserves

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You might’ve missed it amid all the Congressional budget hoopla, but Senator Ted Cruz recently floated ending Federal Reserve interest payments, cla...

Tariff-driven price bloat hasn't arrived just yet

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Prices rose 0.1% in May, according to the latest consumer price index — that’s less than some analysts anticipated. It seems tariffs haven’t qui...

What do U.S. Treasury auctions have to do with me?

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Later this week, the U.S. Treasury will auction off billions of dollars worth of 30-year bonds. While that may seem yawn-worthy to most of us, the out...

What's the consumer debt tipping point?

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Consumer credit rose $17.9 billion in April — $6 billion more than projected, the Fed says. Americans may be anxious about tariffs, but low unemploy...

Labor force participation dropped last month

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The latest jobs report is out Friday, and overall it’s pretty middling — some details are good news; others not so much. One data point sounding e...

Churn goes the labor market

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Unemployment filings and layoffs are rising, and private sector hiring hit a two-year low, recent reports show. Is it just healthy turnover or should ...

Why employers are flocking to Utah County

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Provo, Utah, which sits in one of the youngest counties of the U.S., has attracted some major employers in recent years. This week, “Marketplace” ...

What if government data becomes untrustworthy?

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The GOP’s budget bill, now at the Senate, includes proposed cuts to federal statistical agencies. That could make government data narrower and less ...

How many trade wars are we in right now?

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It depends on who you ask. But we can all agree that this round of tariffs is not the same as the ones President Trump enacted during his first term. ...

Where's the job market headed?

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The economic reports out this week gave a fuzzy view of the economy, but next week will be all about jobs: job openings, labor productivity, and the l...

This GOP bill will affect borrowing costs for everyone

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The GOP spending and tax bill making its way through Congress would pile significantly onto the national debt. In turn, bond investors will demand hig...

Can anyone compete with Nvidia?

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nvidia, as you probably know, makes chips — more specifically, GPUs, which are needed to power artificial intelligence systems. But as AI adoption r...

Consumer sentiment rebounds

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Conference Board’s latest consumer confidence index notched its highest monthly increase in four years. To be clear, it was coming off a five-ye...

Pessimistic about the economy? You're not alone.

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When “vibecession” became a word in 2022, it referred to consumers grappling with higher prices despite a strong economy. This year, consumers are...

WNBA franchises are a slam dunk in this iffy economy

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The WNBA’s first expansion team in 18 years, the Golden State Valkyries, played its first game last week to a crowd of 18,000 fans. Though this unce...

Who can afford a house in this economy?

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The supply of homes for sale hit a nearly five-year high in April, but prospective buyers aren’t exactly taking the bait. Some may feel they’re sw...

The bond market is panicky over that GOP bill

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The latest GOP spending and tax bill would add an estimated $3.8 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade. More debt means the government...

Which companies can "eat" Trump's tariffs?

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the weekend, President Trump told retailers to “eat the tariffs” after Walmart warned of price hikes spurred by the trade war. Across the cou...

"Buy Canadian" boycott takes off

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

These days, Canadian consumers aren’t just interested in supporting their own homegrown businesses — they’re also actively avoiding American on...

Redefining the "college senior"

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

University retirement communities — where a college partners with a senior living community to provide residents access to classes, concerts, sport...

When stressed consumers and higher prices collide

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Retail sales were practically flat from March to April, and consumers are feeling more glum, two recent reports show. Already, one big box retailer ha...

That "big, beautiful" tax bill could shock the bond market

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Early estimates say the GOP’s tax bill will add $3.8 trillion in deficits over the next 10 years. (This, despite President Trump’s insistence on s...

So, when will we see those tariff price hikes?

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

New data shows us that despite President Trump’s new tariffs, the inflation rate for some categories of goods stayed the same or even fell in April....

U.S. and China hit pause on tariff war

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the next 90 days, the two countries will temporarily ease tariffs on each other’s goods as trade talks continue. But what does this deal mean fo...

Uncertainty is the name of the game

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the Federal Reserve opted to leave short-term interest rates alone, despite concerns about the rising risks of a weakening U.S. economy. In...

What we're expecting

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The latest consumer expectations report is out and Americans are feeling much worse about their own personal financial situations than they were in Ma...

U.S. to talk trade with China

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As tariff pressures mount, China’s vice president and other leaders have agreed to meet with top U.S. officials. If history is any guide, substantia...

What comes after the trade deficit surge

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. trade deficit hit a record high in March, as businesses rushed to bring in goods ahead of new import taxes. Now that President Trump’s tari...

How cheap is too cheap?

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Oil companies are barely breaking even on crude oil right now — a barrel of West Texas Intermediate started Monday at a paltry $58. If prices stay l...

Supply chain strain, redux

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been one month since President Trump raised tariffs on goods from China. Already, the global supply chain is struggling. In this episode, we’...

What will Trump's trade war do to labor productivity?

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An upward climb in labor productivity has been a promising economic trend over the past few years. That’s important because productivity drives over...

"March is ancient history"

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The latest GDP calculations and PCE index tell us the U.S. economy is doing … OK. Importantly, the data doesn’t point to stagflation. But the data...

Tariff fears likely shrunk the GDP

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When new gross domestic product data comes out tomorrow, economists expect we'll see the first GDP contraction in three years. But the report is backw...

Taxes due today on goods sold tomorrow

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Though it’s hard to say how much tariff-driven sticker shock consumers can stomach, some retailers have begun raising their prices. Other companies ...

In this uncertain economy, gold shines

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The stock and bond markets may tumultuous right now, but gold prices have been on a tear. This week, they hit an all time high of $3,500 an ounce. In ...

Trump aims axe at community lender fund

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund supports lenders in far-flung and underserved areas. It also made a laundry list of...

Say goodbye to affordable clothing

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump’s tariffs will touch the vast majority of industries, but apparel — clothes, shoes, accessories — will be particularly impacted. Around 98...

No job? No office phone? Thanks DOGE.

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Verizon lost nearly 300,000 monthly phone subscribers in the first quarter. The telecom giant put partial blame on ongoing government layoffs. Verizon...

Boeing aircraft, duty-free no more

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The scale and volatility of the trade war may be surprising, but tariffs aren’t new — unless you’re an aircraft manufacturer. (A trade agreement...

Special Coverage from Marketplace: Selling America

20 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: We’re in an unprecedented economic moment. But this time really is different. America’s place in the glob...

A housing market dilemma

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some relief seems to have arrived on the housing shortage front — listings are up 9% compared to last year. But buyers who’ve been waiting for mor...

Amid turmoil, firms cling to their employees

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

First-time jobless claims have been pretty stable since the start of March — unlike many other parts of the economy. President Donald Trump’s tari...

Tariff anxiety turns fun splurges into stress purchases

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve heard about people rushing to replace big-ticket essentials ahead of trade war-related price hikes, but what about stuff that’s more of a wa...

Counting the ways tariffs disrupt our economy

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the first few years of the pandemic, businesses navigated a backed-up global supply chain that left some with excess inventory and others with no ...

Office uncertainty — inside and out

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fear of unemployment jumped 4.6 percentage points to 44% in March, according to a New York Fed survey. That’s the highest it’s been since April 20...

Expect tariff evasion

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just like some people fudge the numbers to lower their taxes, some companies do the same when paying tariffs on foreign goods. The federal government ...

Eyeing the bond market

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Stocks aren’t the only assets in the financial markets that were beat up this week by President Trump’s tariffs. Bonds suffered too. After 3-year ...

Acting on uncertainty

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve said it more than once lately: This economy is defined by uncertainty. And as President Trump makes aggressive, if erratic, moves on trade and...

A cold snap in corporate bonds

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The issuance of corporate bonds has slowed to a crawl, thanks to all that uncertainty in the economy. And without raising money in the bond market, fi...

Footwear will likely still be “Made in China”

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Import levies on Chinese goods amount to 54% right now. But some things that China excels at producing will likely remain in China. In this episode, w...

Who will tariffs hurt the most?

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tariff-driven inflation will hit Americans with the lowest incomes the hardest, slashing their disposable income by at least $1,700 a year, the Yale ...

Reminder: Tariffs are taxes.

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Uncertainty about tariffs and trade policy has been top of mind since President Donald Trump’s election in November. We finally know how high those ...

Q1 dealmaking takes a dive

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Corporate dealmakers hoped merger and acquisition ventures would heat up this year. But the first quarter of 2025 saw the slowest M&A activity in ...

The negative wealth effect

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People feel richer — and spend accordingly — when their assets rise in value. That’s called the wealth effect. But when folks get their retireme...

Will owning a home ever be affordable again?

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just how expensive has homeownership become? To afford a typical home, households need an income of about $117,000 right now — a 50% increase from $...

Are U.S. consumers finally running out of steam?

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Consumers say they’re fed up with inflation, then they keep spending. But their behavior could be catching up with their anxiety, an economist told ...

Uncertainty, thy name is tariff

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. economy grew at a 2.4% annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2024, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported today. That number tells us where ...

The law of unintended consequences

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

More tariffs are on the way, this time targeting vehicle imports. President Donald Trump favors import taxes, partly because, he argues, they’ll hel...

Consumer confidence continues to dim

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The latest reading marks the fourth straight month of declining consumer confidence, and it fell more than expected. How will the souring mood affect ...

Will tariffs boost U.S. manufacturing?

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Donald Trump administration wants to strengthen U.S. manufacturing with tariffs on imported goods. We look at the latest purchasing managers repor...