Marketplace

Corporate dealmakers hoped merger and acquisition ventures would heat up this year. But the first quarter of 2025 saw the slowest M&A activity in more than a decade, according to Dealogic. In

People feel richer — and spend accordingly — when their assets rise in value. That’s called the wealth effect. But when folks get their retirement account statements for Q1 of 2025, they may

Just how expensive has homeownership become? To afford a typical home, households need an income of about $117,000 right now — a 50% increase from $78,000 in January 2020, according to a Bankrate

Consumers say they’re fed up with inflation, then they keep spending. But their behavior could be catching up with their anxiety, an economist told us. The clues are in data released today by the

The U.S. economy grew at a 2.4% annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2024, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported today. That number tells us where the economy was headed coming into this year. But

More tariffs are on the way, this time targeting vehicle imports. President Donald Trump favors import taxes, partly because, he argues, they’ll help shrink the U.S. trade deficit. But if

The latest reading marks the fourth straight month of declining consumer confidence, and it fell more than expected. How will the souring mood affect spending and the job market? Also in this

The Donald Trump administration wants to strengthen U.S. manufacturing with tariffs on imported goods. We look at the latest purchasing managers report to see if new trade policies have made an

We’re tackling a “mysterious and important” question in today’s episode: Should Congress use “current policy” or “current law” baseline when measuring

More tariffs are set to take effect April 2, and in most cases, American consumers and businesses will pay the tax. We’ll explain why some sectors expect prices to rise as soon as next month

Federal Reserve policymakers aren’t cutting interest rates right now, though they expect two rate cuts in 2025. When — and if — those cuts come will depend on how the trade war shakes out. In

“Recession” recently peaked on Google Trends — a sure sign Americans are sweating the possibility of an economic downturn. But what do the numbers say? Well, the hard data so far reflects

About 8.9 million. That’s how many U.S. workers worked more than one job in February — an all-time high, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. We spoke with some workers holding multiple

Mortgage rates have fallen recently to 6.6% for a 30-year fixed. But will it be enough to bring prospective homebuyers off the sidelines? Not according to one survey, which found some buyers are

The U.S. Dollar Index has fallen sharply in the last few weeks, thanks largely to tariff flip-flopping and overall economic uncertainty. Typically, significant sustained changes in a currency’s

Just 44% of employees feel confident about the next six months at their company, a Glassdoor survey found — the lowest in nine years. Thank government layoffs, tariff uncertainty and a toughening job

Back in 2018 — the last time President Donald Trump led a trade war — some businesses got tariff exemptions if they imported goods that couldn’t be sourced in the U.S. Was the process to apply

Terri Bromberg lost her home of 20 years in the Los Angeles fires. Rather than rebuild, the artist and professor chose to sell and move elsewhere. Prospective buyers put in bids without being able to

Overall employment dropped last month, according to the monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, employers added jobs to the economy. Weird, right? Well, two surveys

Ask an economist what’s driving decision-making right now, and the answer may well be “uncertainty.” In this episode, the unpredictable environment fuels a range of change: The

They’re here: President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico begin today, as well as an additional 10% tax on goods from China. In this episode, we hear from

As bird flu proliferates across U.S. farms, infecting chickens, cows and even humans, some public health experts worry that that funding to deal with it has been inadequate. Above all, they say we

In the past decade, filming outside of Los Angeles has become a cost-effective option for many major studios. And lower housing costs are driving many lighting techs, grips and gaffers to follow.

Capital goods orders picked up in January — that’s stuff businesses buy that’ll last a while, like tools and equipment. Is it a sign business owners have money to spend? Or, have tariffs

The second Trump administration has made spending cuts a priority  — already, the president has enacted a funding freeze and laid off thousands of federal workers. Reduced government spending will

Home Depot, which makes most of its money from renovations, said small projects are driving its sales. That suggests homeowners are staying put — maybe improving the home they have while waiting for

The top 10% of earners account for half of all consumer spending in the U.S., a new study shows. In other words, if the goods and services Americans buy in a year were a pie, those with the highest

American consumers agree: High prices aren’t going anywhere. All that stress about inflation, and throw in the impact of tariffs, heightens uncertainty, which translates into negative economic

Last month, key federal data sets were removed from government websites following actions by the Donald Trump administration, and researchers rushed to preserve the information. David Van Riper of

Nearly half of consumers say they’ve taken action to align their spending with their moral views since the November election, a new Harris Poll shows. That includes boycotting brands based on

At the national level, 2.5% is the lowest the unemployment rate has ever been … and that was for just two months in 1953. We’re at 4% right now, but the labor market is pretty tight. In

Tons of sellers listed their homes in January, after months of waiting in vain for mortgage rates to fall. But many would-be buyers are facing economic uncertainty and aren’t ready to make an

Retail sales were down in January, but the Census Bureau report — with its mish-mosh of data — can obscure nuances in consumer spending. In this episode, we talk to economists and other experts about

Homeowners have been clinging to low mortgage rates for the past few years, stifling the housing market. But new data from Zillow shows once-patient sellers are finally pulling the trigger, despite

After a rough 2024, energy giant BP is expected to announce a “fundamental reset” of its business strategy this month. We don’t know for sure what that means, but industry experts

The sun isn’t always shining and wind isn’t always blowing, but what if there was an always-available renewable energy source? In this episode, we take a trip to the Port of Los Angeles,

A series of policy changes are hitting the economy, but some aspects of consumer behavior have yet to demonstrate change. A Federal Reserve survey shows Americans still gauge future inflation at 3%.

When you’re shopping, ever feel like your options are low-quality budget items or stuff that’s stunningly unaffordable? The growing gap between the haves and have-nots in the U.S. is

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says President Trump’s strategies of “energy dominance, deregulation and non-inflationary growth,” will bring down bond yields even if the Federal

In 2017, President Trump overhauled the federal tax structure. Eight years later, the corporate tax part of the deal hasn’t quite “paid for itself,” as promised. But the personal

You know that national debt we’re always talking about? It’s at $36 trillion right now, and around $7 trillion of that is owed … back to the U.S. government. We’ll explain.

Between President Trump’s changeable policy plans and sticky inflation in some sectors, everyone participating in this economy is, in a word, uncertain. In this episode, we hear how

Spent a lot on health care last year? So did employers. The cost of employee health insurance benefits rose 4 to 5% faster than inflation in 2024. That’s not unusual, but rising premiums do put

If you’re a regular “Marketplace” listener, you’ve probably heard of the Fed’s Beige Book. But have you heard of the Tealbook? In this episode, we pull back the curtain

When the Federal Reserve changes its key interest rate, borrowing costs adjust accordingly … usually. There are times, though, when they move in the opposite direction. In this episode, we

As America’s population ages, so does its workforce. That’s why this week, Kai and ADP’s Nela Richardson are visiting Cumberland County, Tennessee, where a third of residents are 65

It’s a demographic reality: The U.S. has an aging workforce. That’s gonna affect our economy, big time. In this episode, Kai takes a trip to Cumberland County, Tennessee, with payroll

Private label sales hit an all-time high in 2024, a new report shows. We’re talking about retail stores’ in-house brands, like Costco’s Kirkland or Target’s Everspring. What

Though first-time unemployment filings barely ticked up last week, continuing claims hit a high not seen since 2021 and nearly 1.9 million Americans are receiving jobless benefits. What gives? A mix

How is the consumer-spending sausage made? Not impulsively — today’s shoppers are value- and credit-savvy. Procter & Gamble attributed its sales growth to bulk purchases against a backdrop

President Donald Trump’s first day back in office came with dozens of executive orders and announcements. In this episode, we dig into why some of these decisions aren’t in domestic