Marketplace

Ahead of the holiday travel season, pilots at two major airlines rejected tentative contracts this week, and a third voted to authorize a strike. Pilots are bargaining for better wages and quality-of-life provisions, all while clocking record-high overtime and grappling with staff shortages. Also in this episode, worker productivity gets a boost, graphite shortages are bad news for EVs, and extreme heat threatens low-income households in Miami.

The Federal Reserve announced another interest rate increase today. On the program, we’ll unpack the key questions on Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s mind as he guides the central bank in its quest to quell rising prices. Then, it’s back to Buffalo, New York, where we visit a food truck providing better access to fresh produce and reflect on what economists could learn from the people behind macroeconomic data.

A cooling labor market means cooling inflation — at least in theory. But fresh data shows that job openings are growing and the quits rate remains high. Today, we’ll dig into the implications for workers and the Federal Reserve. Then, we’ll travel back to Buffalo, New York, to hear how the pandemic has altered the trajectories of a global hospitality company, a small inn and a young worker.

Inflation is the unwanted guest who somehow has not taken the hint. Prices are still rising month over month. And though the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes are being felt throughout the economy, we’ll likely be asking that question for a while before prices start to stabilize. Plus, a race toward I bonds, a plan to keep college students in STEM and the economic woes of going on tour.

The last few years have been a roller coaster for renters. Though  rents are up roughly 9% year over year, that’s an improvement from the increases seen last year. Is this a sign that the rental market is finally moderating, or just a temporary seasonal dip? Plus, a boost in new car inventory, new pay transparency laws that encourage fair compensation and banks’ role in the racial wealth gap.

The Fed’s interest rate hikes continue to be felt across the economy. First, we’ll hear how those higher rates are luring investors away from tech companies, then we’ll see how decades-high mortgage rates are stretching the time houses remain on the market. Also on the program: Medicare recipients foot the bill for a rejected Alzheimer’s drug, and artificial intelligence rocks the digital art world.

It’s been a rough year for the stock market. But the stock market doesn’t always provide a clear roadmap of where the economy is headed. Today, the factors behind stock market volatility and how much we can read into the ups and downs. Also in the program: Europe turns to coal to avoid an energy crisis and a look at natural disaster modeling following Hurricane Ian.

Think of inflation as a runner. In parts of the economy, that runner is slowing — still going forward, just not as fast. Today, we’ll unpack which sectors are leading the race and which are faltering. Plus, how the Fed is tackling that persistent inflation, what a Kroger-Albertsons merger means for your grocery bill and how China’s economy is doing on the eve of its 20th Communist congress.

Critics are worried that the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates too quickly and may tip the economy into a recession without taming inflation. So what else can the Fed do? Today, we dive into the policy, politics and power at Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s fingertips. Plus, a squeeze in warehouse space, a predicted slowdown in global trade and the people locked out of China by its zero-COVID policy.

The number of job openings dipped 10% between July and August — a bigger drop than many economists predicted. It might show that the imbalance between supply and demand for labor is shrinking, and could be a sign that the Fed’s rate hikes are working. Plus, how workers are “performing” productivity, why importers are struggling to take advantage of a strong dollar, and when will this bear market finally end?