After a month and a half delay due to the government shutdown, we are finally getting some official economic data. It is old (from September), but it's here. The economy gained 119,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate went up for the third month in a row. What's that mean for job seekers? Plus, declining consumer sentiment doesn't translate to declining consumer spending, Walmart's quarterly results beat expectations, and international student enrollment has dipped.
Marketplace All-in-One - AI to the rescue (for now)
Nvidia reported earnings yesterday after markets closed, and it did not disappoint. Nvidia makes 90% of all chips used in AI. Tech stocks, including Nvidia, have been carrying a lot of weight in markets, and investors had started getting a little nervous about whether the AI boom was a bubble — but Nvidia's results have been pretty reassuring. Also: stale data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Japan's tensions with China.
Marketplace All-in-One - Will AI bubble fears persist?
From the BBC World Service: Wall Street was cheered last night by better-than-expected results from the chip giant Nvidia. But the AI boom continues to fuel fears of a market bubble. In the past few weeks, a growing number of the world’s leading figures in finance have suggested that AI stocks are unrealistically inflated in value. Plus, Meta says it's shutting down accounts for younger teenagers in Australia ahead of the country's social media ban for youths under 16.
Marketplace All-in-One - The difference between Grokipedia and Wikipedia
Grokipedia, the AI-powered encyclopedia launched by Elon Musk's xAI last month, promises to be an ideological alternative to Wikipedia. But the tool doesn't just have a different political flavor, argues Ryan McGrady, senior fellow at the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
He recently wrote, for Tech Policy Press, that Grokipedia takes a more top-down approach to knowledge, one that harks back to less democratized eras.
Marketplace All-in-One - Too little, too late?
China's purchase of 1 million tons of U.S. soybeans ends a trade war freeze. And while it's better than nothing, it's still far below typical November numbers. With no confirmation of more big shipments, and cheaper suppliers like Brazil and Argentina ready to fill in, how are U.S. farmers reacting? Plus: What to expect in September's jobs report, how the rise of gambling might change political media, and why tech giants are issuing debt to fuel expansion.
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Marketplace All-in-One - Why are retailers hiring fewer seasonal workers?
In a word: uncertainty. Retail chains like Target are pulling back on hiring temporary workers ahead of this year’s holiday shopping season as tariffs take their toll, consumer sentiment slumps, and little government data leaves them with little guidance. We’ll hear more. But first: there’s a lot riding on Nvidia results, and investors are split on predictions for the Fed’s next rate decision.
Marketplace All-in-One - Shock, frustration for those losing ACA subsidies
Some 24 million people buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But subsidies and tax credits that have made these plans more affordable for the past few years are expiring, and the cost of health insurance is likely going to double, on average, for those losing subsidies. How do you plan for that? Plus, a Cloudflare outage took down sites yesterday, and tensions between China and Japan escalated.
Marketplace All-in-One - US issues apology for Hyundai immigration raid
From the BBC World Service: The chief executive of the South Korean firm Hyundai said that the White House phoned him personally to apologize for an immigration raid at a massive battery factory in Georgia in September. More than 300 South Korean workers were detained and later sent back to South Korea, stoking tensions between the two nations. Plus, China has imposed a ban on all imports of Japanese seafood amid a growing dispute between Asia's two biggest economies
Marketplace All-in-One - This school trains the workforce behind China’s automated factories
China recently came out with its latest five-year plan for growth, which will guide the world’s second largest economy through 2030. In it, top Communist Party leaders have pushed to boost the country's strength in manufacturing to the next level by upgrading older factories with advanced technologies for automation.
The challenge, according to the Chinese ministry of education, is that the sector has tens of millions of open jobs because there aren't enough skilled workers in the labor force to fill them.
One school is trying to bridge that gap. Marketplace China correspondent Jennifer Pak visited it in Nanjing city.
Marketplace All-in-One - Rural hospitals were already short-staffed. Then came Trump’s H-1B visa fee
The White House’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications is adding extra pressure to health care systems in rural and low-income areas. Historically, the visa has been a critical pipeline for skilled health workers in hard-to-staff settings. Affected hospitals are already feeling the added strain. Also in this episode: A bitcoin downturn won’t just hurt crypto bros, Panera announces an overhaul amid floundering fast-casual sales, and the EV market soldiers on, despite sunsetted tax subsidies and emissions regulations.
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.