Marketplace-logo

Marketplace

American Public Media

Every weekday, host Kai Ryssdal helps you make sense of the day’s business and economic news — no econ degree or finance background required. “Marketplace” takes you beyond the numbers, bringing you context. Our team of reporters all over the world speak with CEOs, policymakers and regular people just trying to get by.

Location:

Los Angeles, CA

Description:

Every weekday, host Kai Ryssdal helps you make sense of the day’s business and economic news — no econ degree or finance background required. “Marketplace” takes you beyond the numbers, bringing you context. Our team of reporters all over the world speak with CEOs, policymakers and regular people just trying to get by.

Language:

English

Contact:

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


Episodes

Who pays real estate agents?

3/18/2024
To buy a house, you’ll probably need a real estate agent. Traditionally, sellers pay both agents a commission, a cost baked into the buyer’s closing fees. But a lawsuit settlement last week means buyers could start paying their agents directly or on an hourly basis. Also in this episode: global central banks meet this week, new tech may help bring down methane emissions, and avian flu is killing chickens across California.

Duration:00:28:02

A labor market paradox

3/15/2024
The U.S. economy has been on a job creation spree in the last few years. But wage inflation has eased and unemployment even ticked up recently. What gives? Also in this episode: Infrastructure grants aid communities of color, e-commerce changes the way we shop and crawfish farmers struggle with the impact of record heat.

Duration:00:26:35

Spring is coming, and so are higher gas prices

3/14/2024
We keep a close eye on the price of oil because it feeds so many industries and hints at what’s coming for the global economy. And right now, the price of crude is going up along with gas at the pump. One reason is that OPEC is holding back on supply. Another: Spring is coming. We’ll explain. Also in this episode: The state of American steel, the rise of the AI training industry, and the Taiwanese roots of bubble tea.

Duration:00:28:39

Betting on mother nature

3/13/2024
Catastrophe bonds are a risky bet to make. But they offered returns of nearly 20% last year, Bloomberg reported. In this episode, we’ll cover why climate change makes these bonds more popular — and more lucrative. Plus: sporting brands have an overstock problem, large group reservations are hard to come by and ads on e-commerce sites make up a $50 billion industry

Duration:00:27:14

A higher-than-expected CPI

3/12/2024
The February consumer price index is out — inflation was 3.2% year over year. That’s just a smidge higher than January. Still, prices in some sectors are down from a year ago. We’ll dig into the data, from price drops in furniture to still waters in apparel. Plus: the state of banking one year after the SVB fiasco and the future of addiction treatment in Oregon.

Duration:00:28:54

Not too hot, not too cold

3/11/2024
The Federal Reserve decided that our inflation goal is 2% annually. It hasn’t hit that level, but prices are relatively stable and the economy’s going strong, with a hot labor market and a growing GDP. In this episode, is the landing we have soft enough? Plus, inventory stories: Retailers have recovered from that early COVID supply backlog and more vehicles on dealers’ lots mean a different sales pitch.

Duration:00:29:54

Spacial awareness

3/8/2024
When supply chains were backed up early in the pandemic, some businesses bulked up on warehouse space. Now that inventory is no longer a problem, what to do with the excess? And in the art world, some nonprofits are trying to buy real estate, which comes with benefits and financial hurdles. Also in this episode: COVID habits shape restaurant hiring and a bakery deals with rising costs.

Duration:00:28:09

The EU cracks down on Big Tech

3/7/2024
A big antitrust law goes into effect today in the European Union. The Digital Markets Act is an effort to regulate Big Tech companies like Apple and Google. It’s designed to make the internet more competitive, but enforcement may prove tricky. Also in this episode: new retail subscriptions, the latest Beige Book insights, and a cowboy-skier-friendly sport.

Duration:00:26:20

The Federal Reserve’s political independence matters

3/6/2024
One of many differences between President Joe Biden and and former President Donald Trump? How they talk about the Federal Reserve. While the central bank is supposed to be nonpartisan, that hasn’t stopped politicians from trying to influence it. In this episode, the Fed’s delicate political independence. Also in this episode: the cooling — but not cold — job market, an end of an era for middle-class retail, and a review of the IRS’ Direct File tax-filing system.

Duration:00:29:54

Record oil output with fewer rigs

3/5/2024
The U.S. produces more crude oil than any other country, but the number of active oil rigs has fallen by nearly 70% since 2014, the Energy Information Administration reports. How can that be? The answer is a combination of innovation and financial pressure. Plus, the non-alcoholic beverage market booms, the U.S. Patent Office decides AI can’t be credited as an inventor and household debt burdens are on the rise.

Duration:00:27:25

Who’s gonna win an Oscar this year?

3/4/2024
From “Oppenheimer” to “Poor Things,” 2023 boasted a bevy of Oscar-buzzworthy films. The ceremony isn’t till Sunday, but today we asked New York Times critic at large Wesley Morris for his best actor, actress and picture picks. He also talked about the life of a critic and how he goes about preparing to review a movie. Plus, testing is becoming more common in hiring.

Duration:00:26:33

Who can afford to buy a home these days?

3/1/2024
The monthly mortgage payment on a typical U.S. home has nearly doubled since 2020, a Zillow report found. With mortgage rates hovering around 7%, that isn’t likely to improve much in the near future. Plus: Bitcoin investors finally see a thaw, new guidelines encourage the federal government to hire military spouses and a Chinese coffee chain’s apparent recovery from an earnings report scandal.

Duration:00:25:43

Personal incomes rose in January

2/29/2024
January’s personal consumption expenditures report showed that prices were up 2.4% from the same time last year, suggesting that inflation remains in a cooling trend. The report also found that incomes jumped 1% last month — the biggest monthly gain in three years. Plus, why some customers with high-yield savings accounts aren’t getting promised rates, what Chinese electric vehicle tech could mean for national security and how Florida farmworkers are enforcing heat protection standards.

Duration:00:27:28

GDP keeps climbing

2/28/2024
U.S. gross domestic product grew at a 3.2% annual rate in the fourth quarter of last year, demonstrating the persistent strength of the economy. America is an outlier — at least for now — among world economies that have hiked interest rates to quell inflation. Plus: Some New York office towers are being repurposed and repopulated as apartment buildings, airlines are expanding routes between smaller cities and analysts say consolidation could settle the streaming wars.

Duration:00:29:33

Do modern-day starter homes exist?

2/27/2024
The U.S. saw a boom in “entry level” homes for young couples post-World War II. Today’s housing market, and first-time homeownership, may be unrecognizable from the vantage point of the 1950s. In this episode, a look at the origins of starter homes and how sales agents are reframing the homebuying timeline. Plus, Macy’s announces a major pivot, CEO turnover cranks up and durable goods orders reveal where businesses stand on expansion.

Duration:00:28:10

Credit card fee feud

2/26/2024
Every time you swipe — or, these days, tap — your credit card, the merchant has to pay a fee. Some fed-up retailers are petitioning for more card fee regulation, but banks say consumers have plenty of choice as it is. Also in this episode: consumers’ moods versus economic data and pandemic purchases that buyers regret.

Duration:00:29:44

A not-so-happy anniversary to Silicon Valley Bank

2/23/2024
The failures of Silicon Valley Bank and several other institutions rank among the largest bank collapses in U.S. history. Almost a year later, small banks still face aftershocks. Also in this episode, traditional sports journalism is disappearing. Will accountability in the sports industry follow? And one couple finds financial freedom with an unusual real estate purchase.

Duration:00:27:38

Biden hopes sustainable aviation fuel production could take flight soon

2/22/2024
Sustainable aviation fuel — an alternative to conventional petroleum — aims to decarbonize a carbon-heavy sector. Right now, it accounts for less than 1% of global jet fuel. Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act incentivizes aviation’s transition to SAF, but manufacturers still face big roadblocks. Plus, not all SAFs are created equal. This episode is part of our series “Breaking Ground,” where we look at how federal infrastructure spending might change the economy.

Duration:00:26:36

Neel Kashkari and the Fed’s inflation fears

2/21/2024
Overall, inflation has plummeted since June 2022, shortly after the Federal Reserve began hiking interest rates, and the Fed is getting closer to its 2% target. But consumer prices are still high. So why is it taking so long for the Fed to cut interest rates? “The Federal Reserve has been faked out before, where we thought inflation was licked, and then it flared back up again,” Neel Kashkari, president of the Minneapolis Fed, told us on today’s show. “That’s what we want to avoid.” Also: What to expect when Amazon replaces Walgreens on the Dow, how congressional budget fights threaten federal firefighters’ pay, and why the U.S. is selling its helium reserve.

Duration:00:26:26

What’s in your wallet?

2/20/2024
If a $35 billion deal goes through, Capital One will purchase Discover and become the nation’s largest credit card issuer. But the bank isn’t in it for credit debt — it’s in it for Discover’s payments system. Also in this episode: why Walmart had strong sales last quarter and how states are preparing for a potentially contentious Election Day. Also, is the post-lockdown travel boom still on?

Duration:00:26:10