Marketplace With Kai Ryssdal

These are tumultuous times in the economy. There is inflation, a weakening job market, and uncertainty over tariffs and other federal policies. But the headlines don’t capture the real costs of everything happening right now. In a one-hour, special “Marketplace” broadcast, host Kai Ryssdal explores the way we measure this economy and what’s at stake if those statistics become suspect.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.

Brinker International, which owns casual dining chain Chili’s, just beat 50-year sales and revenue records. In this fickle economic moment, how’d they do it? The answer involves viral fried mozzarella and the power of young consumers. Also in this episode: Jay Powell hints at rate cuts, AI data centers increase electricity costs for everyone, and automakers swear updated tech, not tariffs, drove up prices.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.

Rising unemployment claims will be on Fed Chair Jay Powell's mind when he addresses the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium on Friday, and as he contemplates an interest rate decision in September. But he’s also got stable prices amid tariff uncertainty to worry about. So, we wonder: What Will Jay Powell Do? Later in this episode: Visual AI tools trail behind language-based models, popular spicy snacks could be a symptom of rising food costs, and Indigenous artists tell us how tariffs factor into their business.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.

A consumer vibes indicator, in the form of two Q2 earnings reports: TJX (which owns TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, and Marshalls) raised its outlook for the remainder of the year after beating expectations. Over the same period, Target reported declining same-store sales. In this episode, today’s consumers are choosing off-price bargain hunting over a big-box staple. Plus: Retailers sneak in price hikes, SPACs make a return, and the labor market’s got some regional variation.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.

In this uncertain economy, employers want to save where they can. That’s likely why Starbucks just joined a growing list of companies to shift from merit-based raises to a flat percentage raise. In this episode, why a flat raise structure tends to be cheaper and less time consuming than merit increases — even though everyone gets ‘em. Plus: China leans into trade with developing nations, President Trump wants to cut funding for flights to rural airports, and homebuilder sentiment stays low.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.

New context for the strong-consumer-spending-and-falling-consumer-sentiment combo: According to a Boston Fed report, the proportion of spending done by top-earning U.S. households is growing, and the share spent by lower-income Americans is shrinking. What might that widening gap tells us about the trajectory of this economy? Plus: Strong Q2 corporate earnings are an economic bright spot, U.S. energy exports may not break records again this year, and we investigate who profits from the tripled ICE budget.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.

Recent data show moderate retail sales growth in July — a positive sign for our economy? On the flip side, consumer sentiment fell in an early-August survey. In this episode, why gloomy shoppers are still gonna shop. Plus: How NEA grant cuts are affecting nonprofit arts organizations, why a wealth tax might be unconstitutional, and when did Putin visit a New York City gas station?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.

Earlier this week, the July CPI report showed consumer prices remained steady, despite tariff noise. Today’s producer price index tells a different story: Wholesale prices grew a whopping 3.3% year-over-year. When might retailers pass those higher costs on to consumers? We break it down. Plus: Automated applications sow pessimism among job hunters, New York City marks two months of a ban on tenant-paid broker fees, and U.S. oil refineries face regionally different outlooks.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.

HBO Max’s “Hacks” often tackles the push and pull between art and profit in the entertainment industry. It’s a topic the show’s creators are deeply familiar with. In this episode, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal discusses that tension — as it appears in the show and in real life — with “Hacks” showrunners Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky. Plus: Job-finding sites struggle as hiring slows, and response rates to government surveys fall.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.

Ever read past the top line of the consumer price index? That 2.7% inflation rate varies a lot by metro area. The same goes for goods categories. So why is inflation higher in San Diego than Dallas? And higher for baby clothes and than electronics? We explain. Also in this episode: Long-term unemployment rises as hiring slows, businesses grow weary of waiting for tariff clarity, and we talk to Cheryl McKissack Daniel, CEO of the country's largest Black-owned construction firm.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.