Marketplace Archiv

In Nike’s earnings report this week, the brand said it may begin shrinking its operations and laying off workers. It’s been losing market share for a while now. We look at what went wrong in the last decade. Also in this episode: the government-funded EV discounts that still remain, the business of affiliate links, and a former business owner’s mini retirement during fatherhood.

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An unsettling economic picture

Can Nike get its mojo back?

A year after federal EV tax credits ended, a patchwork of state EV incentives remains

Here, take my link! The rise of affiliate links

How becoming a dad brought this outdoorsman full-circle

The PCE price index (that's the Fed's preferred measure of inflation) held steady year-over-year in the latest report. Economists expected it to move up. So, why didn't it budge -- and why aren't we all celebrating? Also in this episode: Seasonal work is hard to find so far this fall, Trump's immigration crackdown weakens construction productivity in South Texas, and Kai explains the long-term implications of rising borrowing costs.

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The Fed's preferred inflation measure was lower than expected in August. Is that a good thing?

Can the U.S. just grow its way out of debt?

Immigration crackdown adds delays, costs to South Texas construction

More people are looking for seasonal work this year. So far, it's hard to find

There are more private security guards than police. How much are they paid?

OpenAI just announced it will delay its IPO due to ongoing AI safety concerns. But when you’re a company as big as OpenAI, where does your funding come from? In this episode, venture capital doesn’t cut it. Plus: Second quarter GDP was revised up thanks to all that corporate AI investment, Kai breaks down why the labor market is kinda like a bathtub, and farmers turn to agritainment as crop revenue shrinks.

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

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Second quarter GDP growth is brought to you by the letters A and I

Why full employment is like filling a bathtub with water

OpenAI delayed its IPO. That makes private investors happy

Corn mazes, apple picking, and hayrides: More farms are leaning into "agritourism"

Is your Dijon spicy? Heat and drought might be the cause

How "Neon Tom" made a 40-year career out of neon signs

Consumer confidence fell to a 12-year low in September, according to The Conference Board. The index has been trending down for a couple years, but this latest decline was steep. One reason? Upper-middle class respondents are starting to feel the pressure, too. Also in this episode: The economic forces behind GDP growth might run out of steam soon, the low-hire low-fire labor market marches on, and high diesel prices keep some Gulf shrimpers on dry land.

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

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How long can the economy keep growing?

The latest JOLTS survey shows more of the same low-hire, low-fire economy

Consumer confidence falls to its lowest level in 12 years, survey shows

The price tag might be an endangered species

High diesel prices force some Gulf shrimpers to stay docked

New career path, new baby, no problem

Apple used to be the leader in buying back shares. Now, Nvidia has broken the tech company’s record, announcing Monday that it would add $150 billion to its stock buyback program, on top of $80 billion pledged a few months ago. The chipmaker’s profits have continued to surge, as tech companies pour money into data centers and AI infrastructure. Is this a smart way for Nvidia to spend its money? More on Nvidia today, plus how a volunteer firefighter shortage is affecting a rural Wyoming county, why spending is predicted to soar this holiday season despite the energy crisis, and what economists are watching for in the jobs numbers coming out this week.

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It's a big week for economic data. Here's what labor economists will be looking for.

Nvidia's record stock buyback funded by cash from the data center boom

There’s a national volunteer firefighter shortage. It’s on display in Wyoming

Early retirement isn't always a choice

Adobe forecasts record U.S. spending online this holiday season

The mall isn't dead, yet

What happens to government debt, the budget deficit, and the overall economy if interest rates stay elevated? For a new report, the Congressional Budget Office crunched the numbers. By 2056, public debt would grow to an eye-popping 222% of GDP. Plus: Trump administration cuts decimated soil conservation programs, a new report highlights the impact of private equity investments on climate risk, and an uneventful Trump-Xi summit ends with a promise of more talks to come.

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

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TTYL? Trump-Xi talks end without much to show

What happens to the deficit and the national debt if interest rates stay high?

U.S. farmers lost conservation experts in Trump’s federal cuts. Now they’re hurting for help

Private equity gets a grade on climate risks

As Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh attempts to limit forward guidance, analysts are zeroed in on other Fed officials’ public comments. Turns out, they’ve got plenty to say. In this episode, central bankers make their voices heard. Plus: Layoffs push workers to pivot careers entirely, catastrophe modelers warn a strong El Niño is brewing, and potato farmers struggle in the wake of an excellent growing season.

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

Read the stories in today’s episode:

Kevin Warsh is against forward guidance. But that hasn't stopped other Fed officials

Laid off? Odds are a change of job title's in your future

A "historic" El Niño is brewing and catastrophe modelers are mapping out the risks

A spectacular 2025 growing season was not so great for potato farmers this year

Bad news first: Mortgage rates are topping 7% and, fittingly, mortgage applications are down. On the bright side, home prices aren’t completely frozen and listings are actually up. Question is, in this stuck housing market, when will things budge? Also in this episode: A running resurgence parallels popularity peaks in the aughts and ‘80s, Nashville-style hot chicken sees international success, and writer Robin Wigglesworth argues the bond market built the modern world in his new book, “A Fabulous Debt.”

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

Read the stories in today’s episode:

U.S. mortgage rates climb above 7% in another blow to housing market

Bonds are like the “hidden wiring connecting the global economy”

Why everyone is running all of a sudden

Like weddings, concerts are now destination affairs

The global appeal of Nashville hot chicken

Diesel costs have nearly doubled over the last year, breaking record highs. In fact, some lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to halt all diesel exports until they cool off. But experts say it's a recipe for price chaos that will leave us right back where we started. Also in this episode: A wide crude oil spread persists, butter and cheese become a bright spot on grocery receipts, and local bank consolidations leave customers frustrated.

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

Read the stories in today’s episode:

The difference between the "paper" price of Brent crude and what refiners pay for it

Trump and Xi meet this week. What can we expect?

As grocery prices rise, cheese and butter get cheaper

"Not such a good idea": How banning diesel exports to lower prices could backfire

As banks consolidate, some customers aren’t so sure they’re happy

President Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, and AI safety is likely to define the agenda. But what about those pesky tariffs? In this episode, we lay out the fraught trade relationship between the U.S. and China. Plus: Airlines trim their flight schedules to combat high fuel prices, the price of copper may tell us less about global economic growth than it used to, and Ohio cities court recent grads looking for job opportunities and affordability.

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

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Trade tensions between U.S. and China simmer ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Is "Dr. Copper" becoming less reliable?

Starting a new career? Start in Ohio, report says

Airlines are trimming routes as fuel prices soar

Sorry brunch, but you're old news

The Trump administration has doubled down on its trade war with our neighbors to the North — the U.S. is set to ban the import of several Canadian products, including beer and whey protein, in a few weeks. Small businesses on both sides of the border are caught in the middle. In this episode, we visit a few of them to understand how they’re coping. Plus: Banks stand to lose money as Treasury bond yields keep rising, Linkedin has changed the job hunt in this tight labor market, and we break down the week’s economic headlines.

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

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The Fed makes a move

Rising rates mean Treasurys are worth less. That's putting pressure on banks

As the U.S.-Canada trade war heats up, businesses find themselves caught in the crossfire

Do you need to be a "LinkedIn lunatic" for your career?

She sold her home, just to keep living in it

Retail sales jumped 1.2% in August after falling in July. But building materials stores — think Home Depot or Lowe’s — still saw a dip. That’s because stretched consumers are putting off “nice-to-haves,” like home renovations. Also in this episode: The future of global energy demand will be driven by a mix of renewables and fossil fuels, high school students take a new AP class melding business and personal finance, and neighbors organize to cooperatively buy their mobile home park.

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

Read the stories in today’s episode:

The countries driving energy demand growth can't wait for renewables to get cheaper

Kevin Warsh isn't a "data point-dependent guy"

Home improvement stores take a housing market hit

High schoolers take new AP business with personal finance class

Residents of a mobile home park try to buy their community before someone else does

Turning a childhood home into a place to share with strangers

The yield on 10-year T-notes climbed to its highest point since 2007 on Wednesday, as the Fed raised its key rate for the first time since July 2023. Swirling inflation and uncertainty have put all eyes on the bond market. So what’s it like to be a bond trader, suddenly at the center of attention? In this episode, we check in with a few of them. Plus: Higher borrowing costs will likely further stall the housing market, we explain “fiscal dominance,” and young people navigate “repayment avoidance.”

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 marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

What it's like to work in the bond market these days

A Fed rate hike will make buying a home even more expensive

Surviving a stroke meant leaving her career behind

What “fiscal dominance” would mean for the U.S. economy

Venmo ghosting, just in time for spooky season

August marked the third-highest level of container imports to the U.S. on record. Sure, it’s usually a busy month for holiday shopping inventory, but there’s also that pesky looming inflation and ongoing tariff uncertainty. In this episode, why U.S. retailers are stocking way up. Plus: The stock market braces for a likely Fed rate hike, wildlife highway crossings save money and lives, and Carter’s undergoes a rebrand aimed at a new generation of parents.

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

Read the stories in today’s episode:

If the Fed hikes rates, here's how the stock market might respond

For those without a degree, the job market looks pretty good

Imports boomed this summer in anticipation of higher costs

Wildlife use bridges and tunnels too, but it’s spendy

Carter's big rebrand amid challenging children's clothing market

The complicated history of New York's iconic Charging Bull statue