Marketplace

By Marketplace

Business

What's Marketplace about?

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.

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Just keep it

12.01.2023

Over half of major retailers now have a “return-less” refund policy — aka, they’ll pay you to keep not-quite-right items — according to a goTRG report. Returns cost retailers a lot, so why take stuff back? In this episode, big-box ...

Marketplace episodes:

12.01.2023 Just keep it Over half of major retailers now have a “return-less” refund policy — aka, they’ll pay you to keep not-quite-right items — according to a goTRG report. Returns cost retailers a lot, so why take stuff back? In this episode, big-box ...
11.30.2023 The urban-rural wage gap People in cities have, on average, made more money than people in rural parts of America for decades. Now, that disparity seems to be widening. In 2023, urban dwellers are making 23% more than rural ones, compared to 20% more ...
11.29.2023 An oil exec hosting COP28? Surprise! The United Nations’ climate change conference kicks off tomorrow in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where tens of thousands of global leaders, experts and activists will discuss how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the host country’s main export is fossil ...
11.28.2023 Are we there yet? How about now? We’ve been talking about making an economic “soft landing” for over a year — but how will the Federal Reserve know we’re there? In this episode, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee tells us what indicators he looks at to gauge ...
11.27.2023 Global trade may be back on track After a yearlong slump, the World Trade Organization said the volume of global trade in goods is set to rebound in the coming year. Leading the charge will be auto parts and electronic components, the WTO said, particularly because demand ...
11.24.2023 Shoppers love easy returns. But retailers aren’t sold on ’em. Americans will drop $37 billion online this long holiday shopping weekend, according to Adobe Analytics. A lot of those consumers are counting on free, easy returns if their items don’t work out, but retailers are unhappy with how much that ...
11.23.2023 It’s all about that holiday spending It’s not just you: The holiday shopping season really did start sooner this year. Retailers are competing for consumer dollars with sales and discounts, early and often. Plus, tomorrow is one of retailers’ favorite holidays: Black Friday. But the lines ...
11.22.2023 Grocery prices are a little less stuffed this Thanksgiving The Farm Bureau says Thanksgiving meals will cost a bit less than they did in 2022. But everyone experiences the economy differently. So we talked to last-minute grocery shoppers in Houston about the prices of holiday essentials, from turkey wings ...
11.21.2023 Happy birthday, ChatGPT! Next week marks one year since ChatGPT debuted, kicking off a surge in generative artificial intelligence products. In just a year, AI has gone from a futuristic concept to a tool tons of companies have incorporated into their workflows. In ...
11.20.2023 What’s next for the artificial intelligence industry? OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, ousted its CEO Sam Altman last week. Chaos ensued. Now, although Altman has already scored a job at Microsoft, most of OpenAI’s employees are threatening to quit if he isn’t reinstated. In this episode, we’ll ...
11.18.2023 Capitol Hill doesn’t love this crop insurance program. Some farmers say they need it. There is a provision in the newly passed farm bill extension has enemies across the political spectrum: the Federal Crop Insurance Program. Left-leaning groups believe it doesn’t reach a breadth of farmers, and conservative ones think it encourages unnecessary risk. ...
11.16.2023 The calm after the employment storm At last, the labor market is showing signs that it’s finding a happy medium: New unemployment claims are inching up while overall unemployment is still at a historic low. While this isn’t the gangbusters labor market of summer 2022, it’s ...
11.15.2023 Milton Friedman’s impact Like it or not, economist Milton Friedman had lots of ideas that still affect economic policy and programs. In her new book, “Milton Friedman: The Last Conservative,” Jennifer Burns writes about Friedman’s complicated position as a contrarian among economists of ...
11.14.2023 Climate change could heat up long-term inflation Climate change may have us spending more on food, health care, home repairs and more, according to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, published by the federal government. The fact is, climate change is already impacting many aspects of our daily ...
11.13.2023 Once again, a shutdown looms Congress is facing yet another government shutdown deadline at the end of this week. If a deal isn’t reached by Friday at midnight, hundreds of thousands of federal workers will stop getting paid, which may have broader economic ramifications. In ...
11.10.2023 Consumers are feeling Scrooge-y about the economy. Will they spend less for the holidays? Consumer sentiment just dropped to a new six-month low, according to the University of Michigan’s consumer survey. But in this post-2020 world, how folks feel about the economy doesn’t always line up with how they spend. In this episode, we’ll ...
11.09.2023 More Americans than ever are enrolled in ACA coverage More than 16 million people signed up for health care coverage last year through federal or state marketplaces, which were made possible by the Affordable Care Act. One reason that number is so high? Subsidies for ACA plans were more ...
11.08.2023 A “laddered” continuing resolution, explained House Republicans are floating a new idea for staving off a government shutdown: staggered funding deadlines for different parts of the government, or, as they’re calling it, a laddered continuing resolution. In this episode, we’ll talk to political experts about ...
11.08.2023 Why China may be selling its U.S. debt China is the second-biggest foreign holder of U.S. debt, but its total holdings recently hit a low not seen since 2009. In this episode, we’ll talk through a few theories on why China appears to be offloading U.S. Treasurys. Could ...
11.06.2023 Undergrad workers unionize From Harvard to the University of Oregon, a growing number of undergraduate students are forming labor unions. In this episode, we’ll talk to students involved in labor organizing efforts and hear what they’re hoping to accomplish. Plus, we’ll check in ...
11.03.2023 Does the Fed control the economy? When it comes to the Federal Reserve’s powers, raising or lowering interest rates is pretty cool. But there are a ton of economic factors the Fed doesn’t get a say in — gas price fluctuation, stock market trends, long-term bond ...
11.02.2023 Is there a downside to economic resilience? In his statement after the Federal Reserve’s rate-setting meeting yesterday, Chair Jerome Powell said, basically, that a too-resilient economy could put inflation-cooling measures at risk. But isn’t resilience a good thing? In this episode, economists get into what the Fed ...
11.01.2023 No change at the Fed, but what about the bond market? The Federal Reserve opted to keep interest rates unchanged at its policymaking meeting today, but there’s Treasury news that has interest rate implications. In this episode, we’ll get into the Treasury market and why the Fed isn’t buying bonds but ...
10.31.2023 Why the Federal Reserve fears wage spikes Recent data shows that while labor costs are still rising, they aren’t growing crazy fast. That’s good news for the Federal Reserve, which wouldn’t want to see a wage-price spiral nightmare this Halloween. In this episode, we’ll look at why ...
10.30.2023 Americans are giving the economy mixed reviews In a recent Harris poll, 44% of respondents said they’re stressed economically. But in the same poll, 34% said they’re optimistic. What gives? In this episode, how the American middle class is experiencing the current economy. Higher costs and lower ...
10.27.2023 Examining health care inflation Health care costs contributed big to September’s inflation reading, though the sector’s price increases have lagged other industries for most of the last year. But lately, consumers and insurers are shelling out more for medication, nursing homes and hospitals. In ...
10.26.2023 Hear that boom? It’s the economy. Gross domestic product expanded at a 4.9% rate in the third quarter, driven by a consumer who couldn’t pass up high-priced concert tickets and big-ticket durable goods. But is that torrid pace sustainable? We’ll also examine why companies are holding ...
10.25.2023 Is there a cure for the nurse shortage? As America gets older, its people need nursing homes, and nursing homes need nurses. There’s not enough of them, and even government mandates may not fix the problem. We delve into the gap. Also, GM slows down its electric vehicle ...
10.24.2023 Part of the deficit: Federal Reserve interest costs As the federal budget deficit widens, we’ll take a look at one contributing factor: the Federal Reserve’s obligation to pay interest to banks. It’s outpacing income the Fed makes from the securities it bought as part of its quantitative easing ...
10.23.2023 Why do we stick to the default option? Do users actually like Google’s search engine best, or does its role as default option seal the deal? That’s the question at the center of the Justice Department’s antitrust trial against Google — whose parent company, Alphabet, spends billions to ...
10.20.2023 Maybe night work isn’t looking so bad In the most recent Beige Book, the Philadelphia Fed reported a staffing firm said it’s having an easier time filling night and weekend shifts. Could this mean the labor market is loosening up? We’ll talk to some folks around the ...
10.19.2023 A closer look at unemployment and wealth gap data Initial jobless claims dropped last week, according to the Labor Department, but continuing claims ticked up. That could mean companies are hanging on to employees, but aren’t hiring new ones, an economist told us. We’ll talk about that at the ...
10.18.2023 How water moves — or stalls — the economy A fast-growing city in the Arizona desert wants to spend millions buying extra land just to access the water beneath it. Drought in the Panama Canal is causing headaches for a Pennsylvania customs broker. And in Texas, a shrinking water ...
10.17.2023 As COVID vigilance dwindles, medical companies ail Many medical businesses thrived early in the pandemic. But now, domestic producers of personal protective equipment are struggling, COVID test makers have shuttered and vaccine developer Pfizer cut its revenue forecast for the year by $9 billion. In this episode, ...
10.16.2023 What does global trade policy have to do with the climate crisis? High tariffs usually mean high prices, which can do bad things to economies and consumers. But what if tariffs were strategically used to encourage climate-friendly purchases? Take steel, for example. In this episode, we examine how trade policies could incentivize ...
10.13.2023 A $7 billion boost for the clean hydrogen effort The Biden administration allocated $7 billion to hydrogen hubs across the country to boost production of low-cost, clean hydrogen. It’s part of a focus on clean energy and limiting greenhouse gas emissions. We’ll get into what Biden hopes the hydrogen ...
10.12.2023 The endless hamster wheel of inflation According to the most recent consumer price index, inflation didn’t go up in September. But it also didn’t go down. To fight inflation, does the economy have to run in place, like a hamster on a wheel? We’ll ask a ...
10.11.2023 EV subsidies are about to get simpler Thinking about buying an electric vehicle? If you can wait till January, you can apply the $7,500 EV tax credit upfront to a car purchase. In this episode, more about why getting that cash at the dealership — rather than ...
10.10.2023 Maybe don’t take a stand The number of Americans who want brands to take a stance on political issues is trending down, according to a Bentley-Gallup poll. While a company’s public position on current events may have been on point over the last few years, ...
10.09.2023 How much is your paycheck really worth? Real wages — what’s left in your paycheck after accounting for inflation — have been rising for the last several months. So how does the “what’s coming in” column in your finances spreadsheet compare to the “what’s going out” column? ...
10.06.2023 What’s up with falling gas prices? Last month, OPEC+ said it would cut oil production to raise prices. Simple economics, right? It worked for a few weeks, but now the price of oil is falling fast. In this episode, we’ll talk about why the oil cartel’s ...
10.05.2023 Buying a home is a bleak quest right now The average monthly payment on new mortgages rose 46% in 2022, according to a new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Combine steep home prices with climbing mortgage rates, and it’s a rough time to be a buyer. We’ll ...
10.04.2023 Movin’ out Nearly half of young adults in the U.S. are living with family — the highest rate since the 1940s, according to a Bloomberg survey. In this episode, we’ll talk to some of them about the hurdles they’re facing, from high ...
10.03.2023 A high T-note yield could affect your wallet The yield on 10-year Treasury notes hit the highest level since 2007 — not the best era to bring back, economically speaking. This is bad news for the government’s ability to borrow money, and it’s also not great for everyday ...
10.02.2023 Millions owe student loan payments, again After a three-year pause, student loan payments are resuming and interest is accruing. That means millions of Americans must once again put hundreds of dollars a month toward loan debt — money they’ve been spending freely since March 2020. We’ll ...
09.29.2023 Plunging U.S. crop exports, explained The latest Commerce Department report is kind of a yawn, except for the fact that U.S. food exports — mostly soybeans, corn and wheat — plunged 20% compared to August last year. In this episode, why we’re selling fewer grains. ...
09.28.2023 $2 trillion in savings, spent Americans saved a lot during the first few years of the pandemic. But some economists say those excess savings are running low or even have been entirely depleted. Where did all the extra cash go? Also in this episode: Unemployment ...
09.27.2023 Feeling the oil-flation? Oil keeps the gears of the American economy running, from transportation to manufacturing. But the cost is creeping up — crude may well reach $100 a barrel soon. In this episode, we’ll trace how high oil prices ripple through our ...
09.26.2023 Housing market role play The July Case-Shiller home price index came out today, and it hit an all-time high. But mortgage rates, at 7%, are also high. We’ll demonstrate what this unusual pairing means for the housing market with some buyer-seller role play. Also ...
09.25.2023 The business of getting offices back in business How do I make non-Zoom eye contact? What should I share about my personal life? Is my lunch stinky? Work etiquette experts are helping companies ease the back-to-office transition. Also in this episode: UAW strike strategies, the economics of recycling ...

Older episodes

Marketplace

What's Marketplace about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Marketplace episodes:

Just keep it

The urban-rural wage gap

An oil exec hosting COP28? Surprise!

Are we there yet? How about now?

Global trade may be back on track

Shoppers love easy returns. But retailers aren’t sold on ’em.

It’s all about that holiday spending

Grocery prices are a little less stuffed this Thanksgiving

Happy birthday, ChatGPT!

What’s next for the artificial intelligence industry?

Capitol Hill doesn’t love this crop insurance program. Some farmers say they need it.

The calm after the employment storm

Milton Friedman’s impact

Climate change could heat up long-term inflation

Once again, a shutdown looms

Consumers are feeling Scrooge-y about the economy. Will they spend less for the holidays?

More Americans than ever are enrolled in ACA coverage

A “laddered” continuing resolution, explained

Why China may be selling its U.S. debt

Undergrad workers unionize

Does the Fed control the economy?

Is there a downside to economic resilience?

No change at the Fed, but what about the bond market?

Why the Federal Reserve fears wage spikes

Americans are giving the economy mixed reviews

Examining health care inflation

Hear that boom? It’s the economy.

Is there a cure for the nurse shortage?

Part of the deficit: Federal Reserve interest costs

Why do we stick to the default option?

Maybe night work isn’t looking so bad

A closer look at unemployment and wealth gap data

How water moves — or stalls — the economy

As COVID vigilance dwindles, medical companies ail

What does global trade policy have to do with the climate crisis?

A $7 billion boost for the clean hydrogen effort

The endless hamster wheel of inflation

EV subsidies are about to get simpler

Maybe don’t take a stand

How much is your paycheck really worth?

What’s up with falling gas prices?

Buying a home is a bleak quest right now

Movin’ out

A high T-note yield could affect your wallet

Millions owe student loan payments, again

Plunging U.S. crop exports, explained

$2 trillion in savings, spent

Feeling the oil-flation?

Housing market role play

The business of getting offices back in business