Marketplace All-in-One

Big Tech stocks appear poised for at least a partial comeback this morning after heavy losses Thursday. Meta stock lost $200 billion dollars in market value, the most of any American company. This morning, there are rosier tech company earnings reports to consider, along with this: Amazon is raising the price of its Prime membership. We look into what’s keeping people from returning to the workforce in the midst of an epic labor shortage. Scientists in South Africa say they’ve produced a COVID-19 vaccine similar to the Moderna version, which could eventually mean vaccine access in a part of the world that’s struggled to get it.

On Friday, the National Labor Relations Board starts sending unionization ballots to more than 6,000 workers at an Amazon facility in Bessemer, Alabama. Organizers say they want a union so they can negotiate safer working conditions and dispute terminations. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Marketplace senior reporter Meghan McCarty Carino, who covers workplace culture. She said it’s significant that these workers are getting a redo after their union vote last year, which failed.

With the big game just around the corner, the broadcast world’s attention turns to the commercials. Advertisers are looking for a return to the upbeat tone of years past. We’ll guess about the efforts to stand out from the pack that we might expect during this year’s gridiron epic. Plus, we hollow out our shells while discussing the White House’s handling of the media and hard data on the national debt. We’ll end the show with two Make Me Smiles — one from Down Under, and one that’s out of this world.

Here’s everything we talked about on the show today:

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We’ve said before that now is a good time to be a job seeker. But more people are unemployed now than before the pandemic. On today’s show, we hear from a few folks who are looking for work and the barriers that stand in their way. Plus: Tech stocks take a tumble (with big ripple effects), and small businesses weigh the best ways to deal with inflation in the coming year.

Many shift workers in the retail and restaurant industry are still generally uncertain about their schedules, which are perpetually in flux. This is happening in the face of labor shortages and low employment, according to a recent report from researchers at The Shift Project. The BBC’s Victoria Craig visits us to discuss some of the global confusion that comes with talk of raising interest rates. The tribal settlement with drugmakers over opioids is part of a long journey of tribal efforts to establish their legal power.

Big Tech stocks are down this morning in futures trading. Investors are startled by earnings reports from Facebook parent Meta, and to a lesser extent from Spotify. Both had surprisingly gloomy outlooks. Meta is down 20% in futures trading. Trending up, however, are the sales of electric vehicles, which doubled in 2021. And, while the costs for companies have risen, so too – somehow – have profits. One reason? People just really want some of the stuff businesses are selling, like cars.

From the BBC World Service: The European Central Bank will announce its latest interest rate decision today. Despite record Eurozone inflation we hear why it is unlikely that rates will actually rise. And as Turkey’s inflation rate hits 48%, we hear what role tourism can play in tackling some of the country’s bigger economic problems.

The Beijing Winter Olympics officially start Friday, although preliminary events have already happened. In addition to the normal concerns about security and logistics, this year’s Games come with tight COVID-19 protocols and, according to cybersecurity experts, additional risks for attacks on the technology people are using. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams spoke with China correspondent Jennifer Pak about how the government is preparing for security threats. She said contractors hired to manage the threats have identified some particularly high-risk targets.

Every year, Americans donate millions of pounds of clothing to Goodwill, including one of our listeners, who wondered, “When I drop stuff off at Goodwill, where does it go?” We’ve got an answer for that one, as well as more listener questions about  economic sanctions and a predictable story about a common and increasingly pricey cooking ingredient.

Here’s a look at everything we talked about on the show today:

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Only 10 states have some version of paid family medical leave. Today we hear from a family who’s experienced two major medical events in two states, one that has paid family medical leave and one that does not. We examine how the policy has affected their financial and mental well-being. Plus, how omicron may mess with the numbers in January’s jobs report, and how being crafty has helped one microbusiness navigate the pandemic.