Marketplace
Weekdays at 6:30pm
Marketplace is your liaison between economics and life.
Noted for timely, relevant and accessible coverage of business news, Marketplace focuses on the latest national and international business news, the global economy, and wider events linked to the financial markets. The show covers business and economics with a reporting style that is lively and unexpected.
Heard on more than 800 public radio stations nationwide by 14.6 million listeners every week, Marketplace is on a mission to raise the economic intelligence of the country. It's the only national daily business news program originating from the West Coast.
Find the latest episodes of Marketplace below. Find out more about the show here.
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Federal employment numbers come out Friday, so we’ve got a labor-packed episode. First up, job growth in evergreen or “secular” industries is strong (think health care) while cyclical jobs (think manufacturing) have been stagnant. Then, wage gains are outpacing inflation, but some workers aren’t feelin’ it. We’ll also hear from seasonal employees in Vermont and a mall manager in Montana who’s moving on.
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Many provisions of the Trump administration’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire next year. That means the incoming Republican-controlled House and Senate will have the privilege of agonizing over which parts to renew and how to pay for them. Plus: Community colleges push up graduation rates, the advantages of owning your own small-business space, and are holiday shoppers buying the sale hype along with the goods?
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About 3.3 million people quit their jobs in October, slightly more than in September. More quits can signal a strong labor market, but quit rates vary across the country. In this episode, why job churn is strong out West and falling in the Northeast. Plus: TikTok Shop did over $100 million in sales on Black Friday weekend, renters want electric vehicle chargers and the restaurant industry struggles with debt and shifting preferences.
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Manufacturers have held back on big investments because of high interest rates and inflation. Those have eased, but companies are worried that potential tariffs and tax cuts could stoke them again. Also in this episode, more uncertainty: A customs broker isn’t sure what to expect if there’s another round of tariffs, and the number of “permanent job losers” climbed the highest its been since November 2021.
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Nearly half of Americans are still in debt from last year’s gift-giving season. That’s double the number of people who were paying off 2022 holiday debt in 2023. And carrying credit debt has only become more expensive. Also in this episode: If you drove to Thanksgiving festivities this week, you may be thankful for the multiyear low in gas prices. We’ve also got a snapshot of China’s economy and the history of college dorms.
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Permanent supportive housing programs are a preferred remedy for the homelessness crisis, experts say. Such apartments have more than doubled in the past decade. But lately, the organizations that run them are battling a new threat: property insurance charges, which have thrown some programs into dire financial straits. Also in this episode: Wage growth shows signs of cooling but remains ahead of inflation and analysts expect a record holiday season for buy now, pay later.