Marketplace

Job openings dropped in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While that’s normally not great news, it could be a hint that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes are beginning to take effect, cooling job growth and bringing the economy back into balance. Plus, the pushback against remote work, a return to just-in-time inventory and waning trust in Argentina’s financial institutions.

The OPEC+ cartel surprised markets this weekend with plans to cut oil production by more than 1 million barrels per day. This classic story of supply and demand has already pushed up the oil price, and it could have major ripple effects across the global economy. Plus, hot job markets in Sunbelt cities, a merger in the world of wrestling and the origin story of “bootstrapping.”

The Inflation Reduction Act channels hundreds of billions of dollars into clean energy projects. But “electrifying America” could be short-circuited by the nationwide shortage of electricians. Today, we’ll hear from the companies and programs hoping to draw a new cohort of electricians to the field. Also, a preview of tomorrow’s economic data dump, a short-lived urban exodus and five child care workers on the industry’s joys and challenges.

Spring is when flowers, and For Sale signs, tend to start popping up. Today we learned that pending home sales rose for the third straight month in February, which seems puzzling given climbing interest rates. Could it signal a thawing housing market? Plus, a look at the debate about public funds for home-schooling and how a tight labor market benefits the poorest workers.

On this program, we’ve discussed a somewhat confusing dynamic: Consumers are sour on the economy despite a job market that’s historically strong. Today, we’re joined by Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell to help piece the puzzle together and tally inflation’s mental and financial tolls. Plus, why recent banking turmoil may slow nonresidential construction and what one reporter learned walking from Washington, D.C., to New York.

The Federal Reserve will release a report by May 1 on what happened at Silicon Valley Bank. A key part will be how bank examiners, the government employees who monitor a bank’s safety and soundness, supervised SVB. Today, we’ll look at what a bank examiner does — and doesn’t. We’ll also map new home sales and head back to college with some midlife students.

Long gone are the good ol’ days when inflation was described as “transitory.” This month marks one year since the Federal Reserve started raising interest rates to curb inflation, and we chart the relationship between rates and prices, and take stock of where we are. Plus, why some central banks follow the Fed’s lead and how small businesses are responding to banking turmoil.

One way the Federal Reserve oversees the banking system is through “stress tests,” which help determine whether banks can withstand economic disasters. But only the biggest banks are required to undergo these tests. Could Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse change that? We’ll also unpack Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s rate hike remarks, check to see who’s currently hiring and gauge reactions to anticipated charges for COVID-19 vaccines.

“Financial conditions” influence the cost of money, and they’re being made much more complicated by recent bank collapses. Today, we’ll delve into how tightening financial conditions influence the Federal Reserve’s next moves and could make it harder for small businesses and consumers to get loans. Plus, why COVID may have fundamentally reshaped how we spend and what the Silicon Valley Bank collapse means for venture capital.

Following the meltdowns of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, Europe’s Credit Suisse is now in trouble. Though the Swiss bank’s problems predate the recent U.S. bank failures, some economists are asking whether the malady at Credit Suisse can or will infect the rest of global finance. We’ll also take a closer look at the role of regional banks and the communication tactics some are using to quell customer anxieties.