Marketplace

Areas that recently experienced the largest slowdowns in unauthorized immigration also saw the largest slowdowns in employment growth, according to data analysis by the San Francisco Fed. This disproves the accusation that immigrants take jobs from American citizens. In this episode, how tighter immigration restrictions could affect the U.S. labor market long-term. Plus: It’s too early to tell how AI affects workplace prod...

After the 2008 housing market crash, new rules required banks hold capital reserves proportional to the home loans they issued. In response, banks issued fewer mortgages and non-banks filled in the gap. Easing those rules — which the Fed is considering — could make it a bit easier for Americans to get a mortgage. Also in this episode: Vaccine research and development suffers under federal funding cuts, home builders give i...

The White House may roll back steel and aluminum tariffs, according to the Financial Times. Sure, President Donald Trump has announced or enacted tariffs just to reverse course many times. But the difference is steel and aluminum are crucial materials in the production of, well, just about everything. In this episode: How might such a rollback affect your wallet? Plus, market conditions make for a stronger manufacturing se...

On Thursday, Feb. 12, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the revocation of the “endangerment finding,” a federal determination that planet-warming emissions harm human health. The Trump administration said the decision will save Americans $1.3 trillion in energy and transportation, but experts are pushing back on that claim. Plus: The rise of concierge medicine and a look into how AI modeling could play a role i...

When high earners ramp up their spending while low earners pull back, that’s a symptom of a "k-shaped" economy. But what about middle-income households? New evidence shows the middle class is also struggling in comparison to the wealthiest Americans. It’s sort of like a K shape within a K shape. After that: Newer firms are more likely to offer work-from-home options, Washington National Opera has financial reasons for spli...

The January jobs report came out Wednesday, and on the surface, it was better than expected. The economy added more jobs than it has in months and the unemployment rate remained stable. But topline numbers don’t tell the whole story. After that: Trump’s immigration policies weigh on the labor market, Iran tensions cause choppy oil prices, and a new law brings whole milk back to school lunch programs.

Every story has an...

New data show retail sales were flat in December, despite high expectations for the holiday season. So did shoppers spend less? Or did they just frontload that gift spending in November? Also in this episode: AI tools propel widespread online shopping scams, a Colorado utility company shuts off power to prevent wildfires, and what’s next for crypto after last week’s freefall.

Every story has an economic angle. Want som...

The January jobs report and consumer price index come out this week, and experts expect both employment and inflation to hold relatively steady. But that jobs report will also include revisions to 2025 data. Will that show a net loss of jobs over the last year? Also in this episode: Foreign investment in U.S. Treasurys stays strong, Hollywood prepares to renegotiate key labor agreement with SAG-AFTRA, and Michigan wants to...

On the whole, consumers are feeling 20% worse about the economy than they were a year ago, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. High prices were cited as one concern, but that’s been a pain point for years. So what’s new? Also in this episode: Uncertainty in the tech sector drums up investor interest in consumer staples, the federal government yanked over 3,000 data sets from public sites under Pre...

The latest JOLTS report is bleaker than expected. There were 6.5 million job openings across the U.S. economy in December, down nearly 400,000 from the previous month. This misaligned labor market is especially prominent in the services sector. In this episode, what's next for employment and which groups in particular are struggling to find work. Plus: The U.S. lags behind China in electrical capacity expansion, bankers sh...

“Retail theft” often conjures Hollywood-esque heist scenes or sleight of hand at self-checkout. But 2025 was likely the biggest year on record for another, less glamorous kind of shrinkage: cargo theft. In this episode, how goods stolen right out of a truck raise costs for producers, logistics firms, and yes, consumers. Plus: More data centers plan to build their own natural gas plants, private sector data shows labor mark...

It's a big week for major televised events: The Winter Olympics kick off Wednesday and Super Bowl Sunday is nigh. Brands used to save their biggest, splashiest ad for such a slot. But this year, firms are pulling out all the stops to avoid controversy, or so much as hinting at a current event. Plus: Disney shows CEO selection is tricky business, PepsiCo announces price cuts on key salty snacks, and retail construction boom...

Productivity — the rate at which companies make what they make, or do what they do — has been a reliably bright spot in this economy. But wage growth hasn’t kept up. In this episode, what’s hampering compensation growth while overall productivity rises at a clip? Plus: Is AI actually to blame for recent layoffs? Is rising global debt bad news? And, the partial government shutdown will delay crucial employment data.

Eve...

Activists called for a nationwide shutdown of economic activity Friday, Jan. 30, following another killing by immigration officials. But in this unforgiving economy, small business owners who support the cause faced a difficult decision. Today, a few told us how they navigated the moment. Plus: Sluggish big oil earnings show why Venezuela investment isn't popular, Trump announces his pick for Fed Chair, and parents pay a p...

Electricity prices have increased by approximately 40% since 2021, far outpacing inflation. Despite AI data centers making headlines as energy-suckers, that price growth comes from a multitude of factors — including upticks in demand and aging infrastructure. In this episode, you aren’t alone in energy bill price hikes. Plus: Caterpillar benefits from all that AI infrastructure investment, private equity eyes a new form of...

We keep hearing how the U.S. dollar has been “weakening.” Put another way, the euro is getting stronger: It hit $1.20 earlier this week. But the language is a bit misleading — a stronger euro isn’t necesarily good news for people living in the European Union. In this episode, how currency fluctuation can mess with delicately balanced trade. Plus: Consumer confidence fell sharply among older Americans, the Federal Reserve h...

Artificial intelligence companies raised enormous amounts of money in 2025, and made major investments in development and infrastructure. What’s next? To understand more about the role AI could play in our futures, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal and “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino visited an AI company and an AI data center in Silicon Valley. In this episode, the next phase of AI innovation won’t come without...

Artificial intelligence is one of a handful of industries propelling this economy forward. But as the sector explodes, not everyone is on board. Americans are much more concerned about the downsides of AI than excited about its potential utility, according to a new Pew Research survey. In this episode, everyday Americans grapple with — and in some cases, fight back against — the proliferation of AI technology. Plus: Durabl...

The FDIC has approved proposals by GM and Ford to launch their own banking units. That means the automakers will be able to provide their own auto loans to customers. In this episode, a confluence of market conditions drove Ford and GM into banking. Plus: The Super Bowl of livestock shows highlights high cattle prices, changes to online search behavior affects digital ad revenue, and “Marketplace” host Amy Scott talks to J...