From the BBC World Service: Markets in Japan have reacted positively to the departure of the country's leader, Shigeru Ishiba, following recent election losses and despite a recent U.S. trade deal. Then, French Prime Minister François Bayrou looks set to lose a confidence vote over drastic budget cuts as the country faces mounting debt. And the United Kingdom is trying to tackle the high price of prisoner reoffending; in England and Wales, nearly a third of prison leavers end up back inside, costing the U.K. government around $24 billion annually.
Marketplace All-in-One - Have video games become unaffordable?
Video gaming can be an expensive hobby. Nintendo’s latest Mario Kart game, Mario Kart World, released in June, costs $80, and it’s widely expected that Grand Theft Audio VI, coming out next year, will top $100. So are games becoming unaffordable … or do gamers not know how good they’ve got it? The BBC’s Will Chalk breaks it down.
Marketplace All-in-One - Jobs report warning signs
Paltry job creation was the headline item in the latest jobs report. But dig a little deeper, and warning signs show up all over: long-term unemployment, Black unemployment and Hispanic unemployment all rose in August. In this episode, why those stats could be proverbial canaries in the coal mine of the broader labor market. Plus: Industrial warehouse demand is down and a shipworker shortage could thwart Trump’s goal of reviving the commercial shipping industry.
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.
Marketplace All-in-One - When tariff turbulence makes you feel like you’re “kind of losing it”
The business journalists at Marketplace have been on the rollercoaster of U.S. trade policy under the Trump administration. But along for the ride, too, are small business owners. Today, we'll hear the latest on where Trump's tariffs stand and learn how the COO of a Queens-based sound effect equipment business is handling the lack of predictability. But first: Just 22,000 jobs were added to the economy in August. How concerned should we be?
Marketplace All-in-One - Finally, a U.S.-Japan trade deal
The U.S. and Japan have finalized their trade deal a month and a half after it was announced. The White House says there will now be a 15% baseline tariff on nearly all Japanese imports and cut tariffs on Japanese cars almost in half. Also on the show: how climate change is showing up in our economy, what to make of a "delicate" and "vulnerable" job market, and which jobs are on the preliminary "no tax on tips" list.
Marketplace All-in-One - Chinese businesses to pick up pensions bill
From the BBC World Service: Up to now, bosses and employees in China have frequently bypassed pension regulations in return for higher wages; from this week, however, the rules are being enforced. We'll hear more. Plus, Jaguar Land Rover's embattled management has told staff to stay at home until Tuesday following a cyberattack. And, with fuel prices in Nigeria quadrupling over the last two years, many farmers are now tapping into the sun’s energy to keep water flowing.
Marketplace All-in-One - Bytes: Week in Review — Google antitrust verdict, Trump’s crypto stake, and AI angst
The Trump family took their digital token public this week. Plus, artificial intelligence is generating angst in Silicon Valley.
But first, Google’s antitrust case over its search business ended this week with a punishment far short of what the government sought. Google could have been forced to sell off its Chrome browser or stop paying Apple and others to make it the default search engine. Instead, a federal judge said all the company has to do is share some of its search data with rivals.
Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Natasha Mascarenhas, a reporter at The Information, to discuss all of this and more.
Marketplace All-in-One - What about the regional Feds? What do they do?
The Federal Reserve Board of Governors has gotten a lot of attention lately — President Trump is attempting to remove one member and has nominated another. But there’s more under the central bank umbrella than president-appointed officials. In this episode, we break down why regional Fed banks and Fed presidents matter. Plus: The latest Beige book shows an uptick in lending, shipping costs are down and an economist walks us through her process for reading a CPI report.
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.
Marketplace All-in-One - Taking the pulse of the job market
Economic data rolling out this week has helped paint a snapshot of the economy. We found out yesterday that 5.3 million people were hired and 5.3 million quit or were laid off in July. Fresh data out this morning revealed that the private sector added only 54,000 jobs last month. Today, we'll discuss this slowing job growth. Plus, an illegal sports streaming site is shut down, and Texas is restricting the ability of certain foreign nationals to own property.
Marketplace All-in-One - Federal job cuts lead to a black market boom … for ants
There's a black market trade for everything — including ants. (Yes, even ants.) And President Donald Trump has slashed the number of federal government employees, which included entomologists focused on pest control. Today, we'll look at what the illicit ant trade looks like and the sort of environmental and financial costs that can result from invasive species. But first, Trump has his first chance at reshaping the Federal Reserve through the nomination of Stephan Miran.