Marketplace

The September Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey from the BLS is out, and things in this labor market are mostly unchanged, although quits were up a bit. Still, economists are clear: Now is not the time to leave your job without another one lined up. Also in this episode: That stiff labor market may be hampering productivity, warehousing costs are up as retailers scramble for the holidays, and pro baseball faces a lockout in 2027.

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

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• What continued productivity growth might say about this economy
• Quits ticked up in September, but economists say it’s still a terrible time to leave your job
• Sometimes leaving the workforce turns into a labor of love
• Why warehouse space is getting harder and more expensive to come by
• Companies invest big in pet food research
• MLB players look to defend free labor market as owners push for a salary cap

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is issuing $6.7 billion worth of bonds in Europe. That’s about €6 billion. Meta is reportedly considering a similar move. In this episode, we explain the pros and cons of Big Tech selling debt on the European market. Plus: AI agents transform the travel industry, Kai tours a satellite factory in Southern California, and the low-fire, low-hire, weak-wage-growth trifecta persists ahead of the October jobs report.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Jobs data has see-sawed lately. What can we expect for October?
• What role will AI play in travel and hospitality?
• Is bigger better? Why these brothers are trying to build satellites at scale
• Why Alphabet and other big tech firms are raising money in euros
• In San Francisco, real estate has reached eye-popping prices

Big Tech firms saw major stock market slides this week. Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Intel all dropped, following less-than-stellar earnings reports. Cracks are showing in the tech biz, and they aren’t all related to AI. Is this the beginning of an AI bubble burst? We’ll explain. Plus: How companies decide whether to offer buyouts or do traditional layoffs, what it’s like to go back to school in your 40s, and where new affordable EVs are available (hint: outside the U.S.)

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Don't let this economy give you a fright
• Inside Big Tech companies' big slump this week
• She loved bartending. Then she decided to head back to school
• Why companies offer buyouts versus layoffs
• To test drive affordable EVs, he took a trip to CDMX

Fresh data showed the economy grew faster than expected, at a 3.4% annual rate in the third quarter. Prices grew too, by 3.6%. Robust consumer spending tends to drive GDP, but the consumer savings rate — an important financial cushion — is falling. In this episode, when will strong topline economic figures catch up to a precarious consumer reality? Plus: Alphabet stock slides after a disappointing earnings report, apple orchards reap the devastating effects of unusual spring weather, and jobless stats misalign with labor market perceptions.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• The economy grew 3.4% this summer, but consumers got there by saving less
• Unemployment numbers are near a 57-year low. Why doesn't it feel like it?
• Here's why Alphabet stock plummeted today
• China, the world's second largest economy, considers itself "developing." Why?
• Apple-picking looks different this season after “devastating year" for orchards

Fed governors met this week and voted to keep interest rates steady at just below 4%. The central bank says it’s taking a “wait and see” approach to elevated inflation. But what does that mean for banks and businesses that want to borrow money? In this episode, economic forces make for a fraught lending environment. Plus: We take a trip to Costco to understand how toilet paper is an economic indicator, and spend the day out west with a Wyoming cattle brand inspector.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• As interest rates rise, lending gets more fraught for businesses and banks
• A day in the life of a Wyoming cattle brand inspector
• How student loans have shaped this family’s economy
• What toilet paper sales tell us about consumer spending
• Copper wire stripping is making people money on TikTok

The housing market is a bit chilly right now — new home sales are down, and so are prices. But current homeowners watched their property values grow over the past several years. So when it comes to selling, they’ve got (as Olivia Rodrigo might say) real big expectations. In this episode, the disconnect between need-to-sell homeowners and price-sensitive buyers. Plus: Consumer confidence continues its bumpy journey, durable goods orders are picking up, and we visit Brownsville, Texas, where SpaceX launches are taking over the skies.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Durable goods orders have been picking up. And it’s not just AI.
• Selling your home? You may need to adjust expectations
• Consumer confidence ticked up in October. Is it just a blip?
• In South Texas, rocket launches are part of a bigger economic shift
• Capitalism and democracy go hand in hand, according to new index
• For this candy store, it's all about the customers

A few Big Tech firms are slated to explain their quarterly earnings later this week. AI will, of course, be the protagonist of these earnings calls. Investors are hoping for some positive character development, or at least a spoiler for any plot twists. In this episode, the next installment of the AI narrative. Plus: Central banks prepare for interest rate setting, Treasury rates rise with heightened risk, and the Energy Department adds helium to its critical materials list — again.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• AI is the main character in Big Tech's earnings stories
• Will the world's central banks rase interest rates this week?
• At the Belcourt Theatre, you can see everything (including the documentary)
• Helium is back on the U.S. list of 'critical materials'
• Treasury interest rates are up because they're looking risky
• Aging farmers and the government want to save farms, but for many the cost is too high

Big Tech is kind of carrying the stock market right now, thanks to all that spendy artificial intelligence innovation. That means your retirement account is probably invested in at least some AI stocks. So we asked an expert: If the theoretical AI bubble pops, will those 401(k)s be OK? Also in this episode: New data shows healthy growth in the private sector, Kai goes over the week’s economic headlines ahead of another Fed rate decision, and we visit a cyber-scam compound in Cambodia.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Treasury yields, tech stocks, and consumer sentiment all took a slide this week
• Inside a Cambodian cyber scam compound
• There's reason to believe the private sector economy is actually doing pretty well
• Got a 401(k)? There's a good chance it's invested in AI

Everyday consumers aren’t the only ones contending with rising borrowing costs. Corporations are also subject to those fluctuations — but the rates don’t rise equally across the board. In this episode, why companies with the corporate equivalent of low credit scores are seeing extra-high borrowing costs right now. Also in this episode: Rising crude oil prices spell trouble for sustained inflation, P&G raises sales with “innovation-based pricing,” and independent mechanics struggle to repair newer tech-integrated cars.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• How rising crude oil prices could impact the U.S. and global economy
• "Innovation-based pricing": new versions of old products at higher prices
• Rising rates are stressing out the riskiest companies
• This CPA quit, then did one fun thing every day of her job hunt
• Has the recipe for Reese's changed? It depends on how you define 'change'
• Independent garages juggle mechanic shortage and computerized autos

In Crook County, Oregon, just east of the Cascade mountains, data centers sprawl across the high desert landscape. The area fell into economic decline during the Great Recession and some residents welcomed investment by Meta and Apple in the form of massive data center complexes. But 15 years on, was it worth it? In this episode, what happens when data centers come to town. Plus, mergers and spinoffs: Abbott plans to turn its baby formula operation into a standalone company, and Elon Musk explores a plan to combine Tesla and SpaceX.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Data centers boosted one Oregon town's economy, but some residents have had enough
• Abbott Laboratories announces a baby formula spinoff company
• Elon Musk wants to merge SpaceX and Tesla
• If “demographics are destiny,” what’s in store for the U.S. economy?

On Tuesday morning, lenders like KeyCorp, Mercantile Bank, and Atlantic Union Bank turned in their earnings reports. Those types of regional banks make plenty of loans, especially to midsize companies. In this episode, we look at how they might start getting pickier if rates increase. Also, we’ll look at retailers fighting to offer value to customers, how AI is being used in publishing, Magic: The Gathering driving growth at Hasbro, a wild game processing company, and the booming horror industry.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Midsize lenders thrived in the third quarter. Can it last?
• Walmart is offering a new membership bundle in fight for value
• AI (still) has the publishing industry in a tizzy
• Magic: The Gathering is driving growth at Hasbro
• Hunters have to hunt for a place to turn wild game into food
• Horror is good business — not just during Halloween

Inflation is affecting all of us. But when costs go up, lower-income households are especially vulnerable to credit creep — that’s when consumers use credit for more and more transactions. One survey found 29% of buy now, pay later users took out the loans to pay for groceries, double the percentage from just a couple of years ago. Also in this episode: What might happen to the labor market if Fed raises interest rates, how immigration crackdowns are tied to a 14-year homebuilder confidence low, and why political candidates are competing for AI attention.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• What will happen to the job market if the Fed raises interest rates?
• Struggling consumers are increasingly turning to high-cost credit for basic needs
• This farmer was promised a $20,000 grant to go solar. USDA changed the rules
• How immigration crackdowns are tightening the construction labor market
• Candidates campaign for AI attention
• Home-based coffee shops provide unique perks for owners and customers

India’s economy, from one perspective, has a huge leg up on the U.S.: Its workforce is young and growing. “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal visited Mumbai to learn what that growth looks like on the ground. In this episode, Kai and ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson visit a Mumbai-based healthcare startup that’s using AI to detect disesases early. They also reflect on the trip as a whole. Plus: Farmers face down high fertilizer prices and we break down the week’s inflation data.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• If inflation persists, what comes next?
• Farmers face high fertilizer prices — with no end in sight
• Inside a global AI company built in rapidly-growing India

On Thursday, we got to see the second act of our monthly inflation double feature: the producer price index. Producer prices rose 1.3% in September, which is the largest jump since 2022 — and a hint at the risk that more consumer inflation is coming down the pipeline. Also on today's show: inflation outliers and a holiday spending preview. And later, continuing The Age of Work series, we head to a Mumbai-based clothing company looking to expand to domestic sales.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Producer prices see biggest jump in four years
• Not everything is suffering from inflation
• Consumers expect to spend as much or more this holiday season
• A family business in Mumbai is finding growth in a complicated global economy

Inflation worsened in September, to 3.7% annually, up from 3.4% in August. Energy prices are mostly to blame, but the other slices of the economy are starting to show price stress. It’s no help that the cost to ship crude oil is up exponentially. In this episode, the dumpster fire that is war-inflated energy prices. Plus: Host Kai Ryssdal and ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson visits a garment exporting business (with a familiar name) that provides job training for women in Mumbai.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Inflation worsened in September. Blame energy prices — mostly
• The cost of shipping a tanker of crude oil has skyrocketed due to war
• A Mumbai company training and employing women in the slums

UnitedHealth Group just reported Q3 earnings: Total revenue was down but profits were up. How’s it possible? A decline in Medicaid enrollment, AI-driven billing tools, and some good ol’ corporate diversification. We’ll get into it. Also in this episode, we continue our coverage of the labor force in Mumbai with trips to an Oscar-winning visual effects studio and an English-language night school.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• "Can't go to the moon every quarter": Big banks' bumpy start to earning season
• Movie studios and night schools: Inside India's growing economy
• UnitedHealth stopped insuring some people. Its profits rose.
• What the low-hire, low-fire economy looks like for a new grad

As the workforces of the U.S., U.K., and similar wealthy Western nations age, other countries with younger populations grow at a clip. Nowhere is this more true than India, where the median age is 29 (a decade younger than the U.S.) and GDP is growing at nearly 8% annually. As part of our ongoing “Age of Work” series, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal and ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson visited Mumbai to understand a workforce and economy that is very different from our own. In this episode, they visit a bustling bazaar where young jewelers are inheriting family businesses.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• India's economy is on the cusp of its demographic golden age
• It's tough to completely exclude energy prices from inflation calculations

A 2020 law aimed at eliminating surprise medical expenses has shifted some unpredictable costs away from patients. The law was supposed to incentivize jointly set reasonable prices between hospitals and insurers, but instead, there’s been a whole lot of finger pointing — and employers are left holding the bag. Also in this episode: The agriculture economy goes K-shaped, a sailor finds a support network in her solo circumnavigation, and we talk through the week’s economic headlines.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• The stock market isn’t the economy — except when maybe it is?
• In the agricultural heart of the country, it's a tale of two farm economies
• How a law to protect patients from surprise billing shifted the cost to employers
• Cole Brauer sailed solo around the world. She plans to do it again

First-time unemployment claims (layoffs, basically) have come in below 200,000 for four weeks running — the longest stretch since 1969. At the same time, the economy only barely added jobs in September. Few layoffs, barely any new jobs, and it makes ya start to wonder, just how petrified can this labor market get? Also in this episode: AI doomers touch grass at a monthly Bay Area picnic, the personal savings rate ebbs to a 4-year low, and Kai explains central bankers’ balance sheet agita.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• A frozen job market means nobody's getting laid off, but nobody's getting hired
• Only in San Francisco: A picnic to discuss AI risk
• Not too big, not too small: The just-right Fed balance sheet
• Here's where home heating will cost more this winter
• Americans are saving less money — some can't afford to, others are focused on investing
• Using retirement to finally dig into family history

The S&P 500 has hit more than two dozen record highs this year, and it’s got AI firms to thank. In fact, it’s easy to forget that a lot of other public companies are in a tough spot. In this episode, why there’s a widening bifurcation of the stock market. Plus: Rising auto loan delinquencies could be a warning sign for broader consumer strife, financial institutions kick off Q3 earnings season, and Kai explains what the yield curve tells us about the bond market.

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 https://www.marketplace.org/ — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• The stock market gap between AI and everything else is growing
• What to watch for in next week's Q3 earnings
• "Circular spaghetti": What the tangled AI supply chain means for regulation
• Want to know what the bond market is thinking? Check out the yield curve
• Rising auto loan delinquencies reflect the K-shaped economy