Marketplace Morning Report

It’s a big week for labor market data, including data on wages, unemployment, and job turnover. But before the employment floodgates open, it’s worth looking at a group of workers who have stepped back from the labor force: Men ages 25 to 54 — who were almost all working half a century ago — are participating significantly less today. What gives? Also: a look at how the U.S. trade balance is holding up.

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Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories in this episode:

• Why are so many men opting out of the labor force?

Back in September, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission cleared the way for the trading of tokenized stocks. The so-called “Innovation Exemption” temporarily lifts some regulations to allow for the issuance of digital tokens, which represent shares in a corporation or organization. In other words, it’s another way for investors to trade. This morning, we explain it all. But first, Marriott’s earnings beat expectations, even as some customers tighten their belts.

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Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories in this podcast:

• Marriott beats earnings expectations despite worries about affordability
• Tokenized stocks, explained

In October, the Trump administration announced it would no longer enforce parts of the National Firearms Act, a nearly century-old law that regulates the sale of certain firearms and accessories. It's one of many changes to gun regulations that may be coming down the pipeline. In this podcast, we unpack. But first, we have a primer for this week’s deluge of jobs data.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

With Election Day almost upon us, some business leaders are urging candidates and public officials to respect the voting process and abide by election results. They argue that free and fair elections are essential to a functional economy. This morning, we'll learn what actions the business community is taking. Then, New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan joins the program to discuss financial scams and what more federal agencies and private firms can do to prevent them.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Halloween is almost here, meaning plenty of people are on the hunt for a scare. And there is, in fact, an entire sector of the economy that revolves around providing spooks, frights, and horrors. For the latest installment of our "What's That Like?" series, we hear from Kalila Smith, owner of Haunted History Tours in New Orleans, Louisiana. Listen ... if you dare. But first, we examine what it costs to employ someone these days.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories from this podcast:

• This measure of labor costs can signal when inflation's on the way
• Tales from a ghost tour company in the Big Easy

Homebuilders constructed 19,000 fewer homes in 2024 because of the lack of skilled labor, according to a construction industry estimate from last year. A big factor in the labor shortage is the federal government's immigration crackdown, which has led to the arrest of many construction workers, often at job sites. This morning, we hear from some families and businesses impacted. Also: weighing jobs and tax revenue versus pollution concerns near proposed data centers.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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 from this episode:

• Deportations are disrupting Texas construction jobs and family finances
• Wary of data center health impacts, some rural Alabamians are fighting back

Dolores Huerta, an icon of labor rights, women's rights, and civil rights, died yesterday at 96. Huerta co-founded what became the United Farm Workers of America, and, for decades, she led strikes and protests pushing for better conditions for agricultural workers. Today, we have a remembrance. Also in this episode: why the Fed held off on raising interest rates and what a proposed hyperscale data center could mean for residents of a rural Alabama town.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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 from this podcast:

• A remembrance of labor rights icon Dolores Huerta
• Wary of data center health impacts, some rural Alabamians are fighting back

Households often take on additional debt as they up their spending over the holidays. Buy now, pay later is poised to be an increasingly popular method for making those holiday purchases, new research finds. We hear about the benefits and the risks. And later in the show, we look at key takeaways from Anthropic's IPO filing and talk about what to make of the vast amounts of money flowing through big tech right now.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories in this episode:

• More consumers intend to use buy now, pay later services for holiday purchases

One of the statewide offices Texas voters will decide on next week is railroad commissioner. It's a role that has nothing to do with trains and everything to do with the state’s oil and gas industry. The position has real power over an industry that produces more crude oil than most countries. This morning, we dig in. Plus, we'll talk about a consumer sentiment improvement and why financial markets are betting that the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories from this episode:

• Texans will be electing a new regulator of the state's huge oil and gas industry

In late September, the Trump administration removed 760,000 people from Affordable Care Act insurance plans, claiming the enrollees were likely in the program fraudulently. The administration blamed "health brokers." Some brokers have illegally signed people up for ACA plans without them knowing, so the brokers could collect commissions. Now, the administration has stopped issuing any licenses for new brokers, leaving the industry scrambling. But first, a look at how much stuff companies have been stocking up on lately.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

DoorDash is in advanced talks to buy the grocery delivery company Instacart, according to multiple media reports. The deal would value Instacart at about $17 billion. The two companies are facing growing competition from retailers. This morning, we parse details of the potential deal. Also on the program: upcoming changes to flight disruption reimbursement and the aspects of the economy most likely to affect the Fed’s rate decision this week.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

The Trump administration has escalated its crackdown on legal immigration pathways that involve foreign workers and students. The most recent example is the suspension of eight major tech companies — including Microsoft and Adobe — from using the H-1B visa program to help workers obtain U.S. permanent residency. Trump officials have argued the program takes jobs from American-born workers. This morning, we’ll fact-check that claim. But first, we’ll hear why clean energy investments are on the rise.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

The Federal Reserve begins a two-day meeting on interest rates tomorrow. Just last month, the Fed hiked rates by a quarter percentage point. Since then, oil prices have surged, and consumer inflation has intensified. This morning, we dig into analyst expectations for where interest rates go next. Also in this podcast: investor doubt creeps in when it comes to AI spending, and carmakers grapple with competition from China.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories from this episode:

• Volvo is limping out of a bruising quarter. The carmaker's CEO blames Chinese competition.

Trump administration officials say they’re making progress in trade negotiations with Canada. Talks have been stalled since August, when President Donald Trump announced 50% tariffs on a range of imports from Canada. Now, with border states hurting and midterm elections around the corner, negotiations appear to be picking up. We hear where things stand. Then, RadioShack — still alive and kicking — is leaning into retro tech ahead of the holiday shopping season.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories from this episode:

• RadioShack leans into retro tech to revitalize the brand

This morning, as part of our Economic Pulse series, we continue our conversation with Robyn Vincent, host and producer of WDET’s “The Metro” in Detroit. We dig into how data centers have become a flashpoint for Michigan voters ahead of the midterm elections, as well as how rising utility bills are coming up on the campaign trail. But first, corporate earnings seem to be holding up despite all the economic uncertainty.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories from this podcast:

• From tariffs to data centers, Michigan's big economic stories

If you are in the majority of people under 65 who get health insurance through an employer, you’ve probably noticed it’s getting more expensive. It’s not just monthly premiums that are rising; many employers are also raising co-pays and deductibles. This morning, we do the numbers on employer-sponsored healthcare coverage. Then, we hear from WDET's Robyn Vincent about how tariffs and trade policy are impacting Michigan's economy.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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 from this episode:

• Open enrollment is here and the cost of employer health plans is going up — again
• From tariffs to data centers, Michigan's big economic stories

Meta reported earnings yesterday. Revenue was up 26% year over year, but costs rose 68%. This is the kind of thing that has some investors in the tech space a little nervous; while demand for AI and tech is doing just fine, the cost of investing in it has gone up. We discuss. Plus, as the weather turns colder, Northeast residents who use heating oil are facing much higher costs.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories from this podcast:

• Heating oil prices are up 70%, just as Northeast residents fill up for winter

Farmers in the U.S. are looking for ways to save money and stay afloat. They have not been able to catch a break in the past few years — between tariff retaliation, still-climbing fertilizer prices, and record-high diesel prices. One option to boost revenue for struggling farmers: biofuel crops, which can be turned into diesel. But first, is your car underwater? If so, you're not alone.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Less than two weeks out from the midterm elections, many races are unexpectedly tighter than some analysts predicted earlier in the cycle. That has led to a flood of new spending. “2026 will almost undoubtedly be the most expensive political cycle in history," said Jesse Contario at MiQ's political team. In this podcast, we do the numbers on election spending. Also on the program: tech earnings are starting to roll in, and the nation's manufacturers are showing a mixed picture.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories in this episode:

• Midterm election spending could be the most expensive in history

The housing industry got a heap of bad news on Tuesday. New construction was down, and pending home sales dropped to their lowest level since 2001. Higher mortgage interest rates are to blame. The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate loan is just shy of 7.5%. Average mortgage rates in the '70s were higher, though, and didn't lead to a housing affordability crisis like today's. What gives? And later, lessons from a San Francisco Bay Area universal basic income program.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.