Layoffs are climbing across industries — from tech to retail to manufacturing. And Democrats won key races last week, campaigning on promises to make life more affordable.

Are companies cutting costs because consumers are stretched thin? Or are different economic forces all hitting at the same time? 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert takes a closer look at what’s happening in the economy. Richert and her guests will dig into what’s driving job cuts, why affordability continues to strike a chord with voters and what these trends could mean for the months ahead. 

Guests:

• Chris Farrell is the senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.
• Louis Johnston is a professor of economics at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.