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Marketplace

American Public Media

Hosted by Kai Ryssdal, our leading business news radio program and podcast is about providing context on the economic news of the day. Through stories, conversations and newsworthy developments, we help listeners understand the economic world around them. Marketplace makes sense of the economy for everyone, no econ degree or finance background required. Marketplace doesn’t just report on the numbers, we take it deeper, adding context to what’s happening in the stock market and how macroeconomic policy can affect you and your business. Monday through Friday, our team speaks with a wide range of industry professionals– from small business owners to Fortune 500 CEOs, Marketplace breaks down complex topics related to business and the economy without industry jargon and over complicated explanations.

Hosted by Kai Ryssdal, our leading business news radio program and podcast is about providing context on the economic news of the day. Through stories, conversations and newsworthy developments, we help listeners understand the economic world around them. Marketplace makes sense of the economy for everyone, no econ degree or finance background required. Marketplace doesn’t just report on the numbers, we take it deeper, adding context to what’s happening in the stock market and how macroeconomic policy can affect you and your business. Monday through Friday, our team speaks with a wide range of industry professionals– from small business owners to Fortune 500 CEOs, Marketplace breaks down complex topics related to business and the economy without industry jargon and over complicated explanations.

Location:

Los Angeles, CA

Description:

Hosted by Kai Ryssdal, our leading business news radio program and podcast is about providing context on the economic news of the day. Through stories, conversations and newsworthy developments, we help listeners understand the economic world around them. Marketplace makes sense of the economy for everyone, no econ degree or finance background required. Marketplace doesn’t just report on the numbers, we take it deeper, adding context to what’s happening in the stock market and how macroeconomic policy can affect you and your business. Monday through Friday, our team speaks with a wide range of industry professionals– from small business owners to Fortune 500 CEOs, Marketplace breaks down complex topics related to business and the economy without industry jargon and over complicated explanations.

Language:

English

Contact:

261 South Figueroa Street #200 Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 621-3500

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Episodes

What “full employment” means in a pandemic-ravaged economy

3/15/2021
“I’m hopeful that, if we defeat the pandemic, that we can have the economy back near full employment next year,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said over the weekend. “Full employment” is a sweet spot for the economy in which the jobless rate is as low as possible without employers bidding wages through the roof to get the workers they need, everyone who wants a job can get one and inflation doesn’t soar out of control. So what might full employment look like to Federal Reserve and Treasury...

Duration:00:27:35

Goldman Sachs to invest $10 billion in Black women

3/12/2021
Black women have borne the brunt of the pandemic, dying from COVID-19 and losing jobs at disproportionate rates. And according to Goldman Sachs, Black women’s wealth is 90% lower than white men’s. The financial firm said it will commit $10 billion over the next decade toward economic opportunities for Black women. But, one expert said, it’s important to remember that money is not the only thing women need. Also on today’s show: how restaurant relief money will be distributed, why...

Duration:00:28:34

A year into the pandemic, a look back at unemployment numbers

3/11/2021
One year ago, the coronavirus pandemic became real for many Americans. Workplaces went remote, schools shut down and Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks announced that he and his wife had contracted the virus. Then, millions of Americans were furloughed or laid off from their jobs, and 20 million people are still receiving unemployment benefits. On today’s show: We try to get a sense of the scale and severity of joblessness over the past year. Plus, some of the biggest companies in the U.S. are...

Duration:00:25:40

How fast can the federal government get $1.9 trillion out the door?

3/10/2021
Congress finally passed President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, and businesses, communities and individuals are getting ready for their slices of the nearly $2 trillion pie. But moving that much money through the federal government will take a while. Also on today’s show: the complications of resuming in-person learning, a look at a bill that would extend union protections and a conversation with “Minari” writer-director Lee Isaac Chung.

Duration:00:28:02

Will an expanded child tax credit solve the “she-cession”?

3/9/2021
More than 2 million women have left the workforce since the start of 2020, and, as we’ve been reporting, many did so to care for children. The American Rescue Plan, poised to be passed this week, is offering an expanded child tax credit that could provide up to $300 a month per child under the age of 6. It also includes nearly $15 billion to support child care facilities. But will that be enough to get women back to work? Plus, a virtual SXSW festival, why Unilever will stop using the word...

Duration:00:28:08

A different kind of traffic jam in Los Angeles

3/8/2021
Sure, Los Angeles is famous for bad traffic on its roads. But what about its waterways? Dozens of massive container ships — carrying everything from furniture and appliances to building materials — are waiting to be unloaded at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. On today’s show: How that port backup could affect businesses’ hiring decisions. Plus, crude oil prices rose today, Coursera’s IPO reflects the demand for online learning and President Joe Biden has his hands full rebuilding a...

Duration:00:27:40

Long-term unemployment hits highest level in 9 years

3/5/2021
Despite a solid bump of 379,000 new jobs in February, today’s employment report shows a continued rise in one closely watched category: Americans who have been jobless for over half a year. More than 4 million workers are currently considered long-term unemployed. And the longer people are away from the workforce, the longer it takes to return. Also on today’s show: an update on the COVID-19 relief package, why full retail recovery hinges on women getting back to work and Chipotle makes...

Duration:00:27:47

What it’s like to run a microbusiness in the pandemic economy

3/4/2021
Microbusinesses, defined as having nine or fewer employees, are the most common kind of employer in the U.S. But they might have a hard time getting the financial aid meant for small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. On today’s show: a microbusiness owner shares what it’s been like this past year. Plus: Some manufacturers are having difficulty filling jobs despite high unemployment; food commodities are at their most expensive since 2014; and what it’s like to look for work during...

Duration:00:28:25

The jobs recovery might be running out of gas

3/3/2021
We got private-sector payroll numbers from the processing firm ADP today showing 170,000 new jobs — well below expectations and another indicator that this recovery may be sputtering. Which is, of course, why Congress is working on the next COVID-19 relief bill at this very moment. On today’s show: a look at the pandemic labor market. Plus, Texas is reopening, a check-in with people rebuilding after a deadly Tennessee tornado and why people are spending big bucks on “nonfungible tokens.”

Duration:00:28:13

A seat at the table for workers

3/3/2021
The Biden administration released its trade policy agenda today, and it’s hefty, with goals including the advancement of racial equity, fighting against climate change and taking on what it calls China’s “coercive and unfair economic trade practices.” At the center of it all, though? A more worker-centric approach to trade. On today’s show: What does it mean for workers to have a seat at the table when it comes to trade policy? Plus, schools need funding to reopen safely, and which GameStop...

Duration:00:25:09

The pandemic is affecting states unequally, too

3/1/2021
The story of the coronavirus economy has been one of inequality — for people, businesses and even states. Many state governments have been taking in less tax revenue ever since the pandemic closed businesses and schools, and millions lost their jobs. But in 22 states, tax revenue has actually increased during the pandemic. On today’s show: How high-income taxpayers are helping some states make it through the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, Texas’ largest electricity co-op is filing for bankruptcy,...

Duration:00:27:51

A return to the service economy?

2/26/2021
Stuck at home during the pandemic and unable to spend on restaurants or travel, Americans have been trying fulfill emotional needs by buying stuff. But you can only buy so many backyard trampolines, and economists are predicting a big shift back to spending on services as COVID-19 cases decline. That’s good news for the United States’ service economy. Also on today’s show: Some credit card limits are going up and a look at challenges health care disruptors face.

Duration:00:27:54

Ready to release some pent-up demand

2/25/2021
The unemployment rate is still high at 10%, and the economic recovery from COVID-19 is going to take a while. But as coronavirus cases begin to trend downward and vaccine distribution continues, people are getting ready for things to open up. On today’ show: Some economists think there will be a whole lot of pent-up demand let loose as things start to look up. Plus, New York’s plans for reopening, the challenges in winterizing Texas’ power grid and an update on how pandemic learning pods are...

Duration:00:28:05

The future of this country’s competitive edge

2/24/2021
President Joe Biden signed an executive order today designed to make U.S. supply chains more resilient and secure. The pandemic exposed problems with the current system, including shortages of personal protective equipment and semiconductors. But the order is about more than face masks and electronics; it’s about the future of U.S. competitiveness. Also on today’s show: what it might take to get back to full employment, the child tax credit proposal explained and a conversation with...

Duration:00:27:34

How new PPP eligibility requirements are hurting some small businesses

2/23/2021
The second round of the Paycheck Protection Program started about a month ago. It’s supposed to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic, but this round has stricter eligibility requirements, including that businesses can only apply if revenue dropped by at least 25%. On today’s show: Those restrictions are barring some small businesses that could really use the support. Plus, what the bond market is signaling about recovery, an update on the vaccine supply chain and how small...

Duration:00:27:54

How making federal jobless benefits automatic would work

2/22/2021
Lawmakers are taking up President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan this week, and this third round of support is expected to face hurdles. But what if additional federal unemployment benefits didn’t need congressional approval? On today’s show: Some policymakers want to make benefits an “automatic stabilizer,” meaning they would be tied to economic data, similar to how your tax rate is tied to your income. Plus, the impact of a $15 hourly minimum wage, mortgage rates creep up with...

Duration:00:27:58

Where did hazard pay go?

2/20/2021
At the beginning of the pandemic, essential workers like those in grocery and retail stores were receiving hazard pay for toiling under hazardous conditions, aka the pandemic. Since then, for many workers, it has quietly disappeared. Today, we’ll look at how efforts to grant or replace hazard pay have been going. Plus: inflation in energy, shelter and food, Chinese students are reconsidering coming to the U.S. for college and Joe Biden makes his first international appearance as U.S....

Duration:00:27:00

What you need to know about Biden’s immigration bill

2/19/2021
The Biden administration is unveiling a sweeping immigration bill, which includes a path to citizenship that could grant legal status to an estimated 11 million undocumented people. Today, we’ll look at what joining the formal labor force could mean for them and the economy. Plus: the proposed $350 billion aid package for state and local governments, mom and pop landlords facing a COVID crunch and why looks matter in economics.

Duration:00:25:47

How short selling works (and what it does to the economy)

2/17/2021
The House Financial Services Committee will meet Thursday about the market volatility caused by the short selling of stocks like GameStop. Today, we’ll catch you up on what you need to know. Plus, more fallout from the freeze in Texas, Puerto Rico’s coffee industry and the latest in our ongoing series “United States of Work.”

Duration:00:27:17

Why Texas’ power grids couldn’t meet demand

2/16/2021
Thousands of people in the South are without power as electric grids strain to keep up with heating needs. Today, we’ll look at why power grids weren’t up to the task and how it’s affecting people trying to work from home. Plus: Life in North Dakota’s oil fields, “Young Rock” and this thing we used to call “employment.”

Duration:00:28:13

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