Marketplace

Two in 10 American workers are in the service industry. As part of “United States of Work” series, we’re following a bartender in Portland, Oregon, and a hair stylist in Boise, Idaho. Plus: sinking toy sales, new producer price index numbers and what it’s like to build your own house.

There are 164 million people making this economy go. We don’t have room on our show to profile the entire workforce, but this year we’re going to follow 10 of them in a new series, “United States of Work.” We’re starting with Michael, a New York-based accountant. Plus, how the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting Apple and Nintendo earnings and a look at the booming market for hard seltzer.

Portals into the dream of homeownership look a little different these days. Real estate apps and websites like Zillow have attracted a swelling audience of millennials looking to take a peek into the real estate market. Also, we talk about the sleep economy, apps helping native business and how George Washington handled national debt.

The number of private bathrooms per American has doubled in 50 years. Doubled! Today, we talk to The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson about why the U.S. has so many toilets and what that says about us. Plus, Delta’s plan to become carbon neutral, dismal retail numbers and why teachers in D.C. aren’t managing to live where they work.

The Congressional Budget Office says the U.S. government is on track to forgive over $200 billion in student loans over the next decade. Today, we look at how the program works and who benefits. Plus: The cost of canceling the Mobile World Congress, Asia’s pilot shortage and a conversation with the woman who runs Wikipedia.

Matthew Wilder’s “Don’t Break My Stride,” a 1980s one-hit wonder, has been going viral on TikTok for weeks. So has Roddy Ricch’s “The Box,” which beat Justin Bieber to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. When does virality start to pay? Today, we do the numbers on streaming, memes and chart success. Plus: fake coronavirus news, unemployment insurance cuts and in-home grocery delivery.

Thanks to a tight labor market, more and more Americans are changing jobs, and faster. Where does that leave the customary two-week notice period? Plus: the Sprint and T-Mobile merger, WME’s failed IPO and the first responders who can’t turn to Google Maps.

The Justice Department is charging four members of the Chinese military in the 2017 Equifax data breach, in which hackers got the names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of 145 million Americans. Attorney General William Barr said it was the biggest in a string of connected attacks, which China has denied. Today, we’ll look at what the Chinese would want with Americans’ personal data. Plus, President Donald Trump’s budget, the economies of early primary states, and the Oscars’ spotlight on hair discrimination.

Growth is not a problem for Uber, but when it will start making money is another question. The company says it will be profitable by the end of year, and while Uber Eats accounts for two-thirds of its losses, it’s doubling down on food delivery. Today we’ll talk about why. Plus, how coronavirus is hitting supply chains, Brexit brain drain and why Warner Music is going public … again.

Billions of American dollars are resting in unused gift cards and digital wallets. Starbucks and Walmart together have about $3.5 billion, PayPal is holding tens of billions. Where is that money sitting and what do companies do with it? That’s what we’re finding out on today’s show. Plus: The latest China trade news, how to get your personal data back and why Iowa’s caucus app failed.