Marketplace
Hosted by Kai Ryssdal · 43 decoded episodes · newest Oct 7, 2026
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.
Episodes 43
- Sep 21, 2026 · 26 minU.S.-China trade strains outlast the tariff truceThe episode shows how trade tensions, stubborn inflation, energy costs and shifting consumer habits are complicating economic decisions on both sides of the Pacific.
- Sep 18, 2026 · 26 minTrade war squeezes small firms as Fed tensions mountThe episode connects cross-border disruption, tighter potential bank lending and household debt to the economic pressures facing businesses and consumers.
- Sep 17, 2026 · 26 minEconomic pressure reshapes homes, energy and financial educationThe episode connects household cutbacks, community ownership and energy demand to larger questions about how economic change gets measured and managed.
- Sep 16, 2026 · 26 minRate hikes expose pressure across bonds, housing and federal debtThe Fed’s decision reaches beyond markets, testing household affordability, bond valuations and the central bank’s independence as government borrowing costs rise.
- Sep 15, 2026 · 26 minTariff fears drive imports as workers split into two economiesThe episode connects monetary policy, trade strategy, labor-market inequality and public safety to show how uncertainty is reshaping everyday economic decisions.
- Sep 14, 2026 · 26 minHawkish central banks reshape the global economyPersistent inflation, costly energy and geopolitical uncertainty are pushing central banks toward higher rates, with consequences for currencies, household wealth and prices.
- Sep 11, 2026 · 26 minInflation erodes pay as housing and policy collideThe episode connects falling real earnings to monetary-policy risks, household strain, workforce inequality, and a housing shortage that resists easy fixes.
- Sep 10, 2026 · 26 minOil shocks threaten a costlier global economyRestricted oil flows could keep energy prices volatile while raising costs for transport, manufacturers, retailers and households already facing affordability pressures.
- Sep 9, 2026 · 25 minStates test hospital price caps as markets brace for inflationThe episode connects healthcare affordability, monetary policy, mortgage risk, and trade tensions through the competing pressures facing households and institutions.
- Sep 8, 2026 · 26 minU.S.-Canada tariffs test a deeply linked economyThe dispute shows how quickly political retaliation can disrupt businesses, markets, and the economic ties built between neighboring countries.
- Sep 7, 2026 · 26 minCredit dependence exposes households to higher ratesAs necessities move onto credit cards, rising interest rates could widen the divide between financially secure consumers and households with less room to absorb shocks.
- Sep 4, 2026 · 26 minResilient hiring collides with weakening worker payThe episode connects a surprisingly strong labor market to wage growth that is losing ground to inflation, complicating the Federal Reserve’s next move.