Marketplace

More bad news from last week’s jobs report: Wage growth slowed to 3.2%, the lowest yearly rate in five years. Combine that with high inflation, and consumers are losing purchasing power. In this episode, where did the wage growth go? Plus: Temp firms report increased demand, Bed, Bath & Beyond’s parent company wants to expand into services, and Pringles implements AI on the production line.

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Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• U.S. consumers' real earnings have been falling
• Why Bed Bath & Beyond's parent company is pivoting to mortgages and flooring
• Should we ditch paper checks? You probably write more than you think
• She chose rural South Carolina over Italy and England
• One bright spot in an otherwise-meh labor market? Temp jobs
• A new kind of AI chip: Pringle-making gets optimized by artificial intelligence

The July jobs report is out, and it’s a doozy: The U.S. labor market shed a net 23,000 jobs last month. Previous months, which saw moderate gains, were revised down. In this episode, which sectors cut the most roles, and what it all signals about the broader economy. Plus: Climbing car prices lock buyers in longer-term loans, communities combat a teacher shortage by building affordable housing, and we want to hear your stories about voluntarily leaving the workforce.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• The economy lost 23,000 jobs in July. Should the Fed be worried?
• Here's where the economy lost jobs in July
• Car prices continue to rise. Auto lenders compensate with long-term loans
• The school districts building affordable housing for teachers
• How leaving the labor force helped this caregiver find her calling

As high gas costs pile up for drivers, Big Oil is getting jumpy. That’s because one way to bring prices down, at least temporarily, is an oil export ban. The Trump administration hasn’t signaled support for such a ban, but oil firms are being proactive, by lobbying the White House to find alternatives. Also in this episode: CEOs are sour on this economy, a major university invests big in artificial intelligence, and we analyze the difference between Fed Chair Warsh and former Fed Chair Powell’s public statements.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Big oil is not up for another export ban
• Can you spot the difference between Warsh and Powell's FOMC statements?
• Why you should care about CEOs' confidence in the economy
• The FIRE movement: How soon can I quit?
• USC pushes to expand AI research with $200 million gift

You know how wages have, on average, stagnated when you account for inflation? Well there’s one group that saw some actual wage growth last month: Job changers. Pay growth for people who switched jobs was 7% in July, according to ADP. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the entire labor market is heating up — some in-demand labor sectors might be accounting for most of that bump. Also in this episode: Gen Z bucks the K-shaped economy trend, insurance billing errors can add up for employers, and Kai visits a used EV auction.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Job-changers are seeing their highest wage increases in nearly a year
• Gen Z is spending more across all income brackets
• In healthcare, catching errors from insurers is a growing industry
• The entrepreneur building a marketplace for used EVs

In July, the manufacturing sector grew at its fastest month-to-month rate in four years. A new tax law likely boosted company spending to some degree, but AI investment packed the biggest punch — demand is strong and the money is flowing. Also in this episode: McDonald’s suffers a sales slump, the latest JOLTS data points to a steadily improving labor market, and Kai talks to one economist behind a Trump administration investment tracker.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Manufacturing sector benefits from continued AI demand
• Tracking down the Trump administration's $27.6 billion in investments
• Why job openings have been rising slowly this year
• McDonald's sales soften as diners spend cautiously
• Where did China's oil imports go?

Permian Basin oil companies are reporting strong quarterly earnings, as the Iran war keeps prices up and supply restricted. West Texas, formerly in a slump, has seen an uptick in hiring and new rigs. But oil companies are moving cautiously — they want to avoid a bust after the boom. Also in this episode, more caution: Small businesses carefully weigh workforce expansion, the U.S. invests billions to prop up the Japanese yen, and a Colorado peach farmer preps for a water shortage.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Why did the U.S. just spend billions to prop up the Japanese yen?
• What the bond market is trying to tell us
• How small- and medium-sized firms are navigating this labor market moment
• Becoming a freelance court reporter helped this mom find herself
• High oil prices lift all boats in the Permian Basin, but companies remain cautious
• Peaches pay the bills for Western Colorado farmers, but drought makes their future uncertain

Amazon’s autonomous vehicle company, Zoox, can now roll out 2,500 of its vehicles annually in the next two years. Are more robotic cars coming, or will there be more speed bumps? But first, we’ll look at the market impact of the Fed’s decision to keep interest rates steady in our Weekly Wrap. Plus, the effect of rising health insurance costs for employers, a retiree returning to the workforce for a family business, and a look at how Boulder, Colorado is making room for the Sundance Film Festival.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Weekly Wrap: Kevin Warsh's dilemma on interest rates
• Rising health insurance costs may take a bite out of your paycheck
• Leaving retirement for a new family business
• Amazon's self-driving Zoox taxis are about to hit the roads
• When a legendary film festival comes to Colorado, will homeowners open their doors?

Since 2020, the cost of groceries has risen 26%. But contrary to what you might think, cash-strapped consumers aren’t necessarily staying away from pricier options. In this episode, why Americans are doubling down on organic — even as the cost of their overall grocery haul rises. Plus: Why more customers are choosing chargebacks, what economists predict about inflation two years from now, and how a Maine nonprofit is bringing lobstering to the next generation.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• The Fed doesn't have an inflation crystal ball, but it does have "sticky-price CPI"
• In spite of price hike fatigue, consumers are still snapping up organic foods
• Credit card chargebacks are on the rise — part of the reason is fraud
• Multiple wars drive up the price of diesel
• "Never would have expected to be here": Young Mainers consider the lobster

The Trump administration’s war in the Middle East has driven up fuel prices globally. As drivers pay more at the pump, some oil-rich states like New Mexico and Alaska are experiencing a tax revenue windfall. In this episode, one man’s gas spend becomes another man’s state budget booster. Plus: The Fed holds rates steady despite internal disagreement, “kidulting” and collectibles fuel growth in the toy retail space, and a line dancing resurgence driven by social media launches one instructor’s boot scootin’ career.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Oil-producing states benefit from war-driven windfall
• Adults are spending big on toys
• What happens if the AI bubble pops?
• How one entrepreneur is riding a wave in popularity for line dancing

President Trump insists his economic policies have supported a reshoring of manufacturing jobs. At a rally held at a Michigan GM facility on Monday, he doubled down. In reality, the U.S. has lost 75,000 manufacturing jobs since Trump took office in 2025. In this episode, we fact check the President’s claims, and consider the future of Michigan’s auto industry. Plus: Companies begin to offer insurance for AI mistakes, the U.S. trade deficit shrank a bit in June, and UPS winds down its Amazon delivery fulfilment partnership.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Trump says his aggressive trade policy is bringing back factory jobs. Is it?
• No really, what is Kevin Warsh thinking?
• New insurance products cover damages caused by AI
• UPS and FedEx are moving from higher volumes to higher margins
• The trade deficit fell in June, but remains high
• As mortgage rates stay high, this lender is seeing buyers accept the new normal