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David Brancaccio

"Future Effects" Senior Correspondent

David Brancaccio is Marketplace’s “future effects” senior correspondent. In this role, David aims to explore how short-term thinking can impact our personal finances, innovation, government policy, and more.

David worked as the host and senior editor of “Marketplace Morning Report” from 2013 to 2026, where he focused on the regulation of financial markets, the role of technology in labor markets, the history of innovation, digital privacy, sustainability, social enterprises, and financial vulnerability in older adults. David freelanced for Marketplace in 1989 before becoming the program’s European correspondent based in London in 1990.

David hosted the evening program from 1993-2003, then anchored the award-winning public television news program “Now” on PBS after a period co-hosting with journalist Bill Moyers. David has co-produced and appeared in several documentaries, including “Fixing the Future,” about alternative approaches to the economy, and “On Thin Ice,” about climate change and water security, with mountaineer Conrad Anker. David is the author of “Squandering Aimlessly,” a book about personal values and money. He enjoys moderating public policy discussions, including at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Chicago Ideas Week, and the Camden Conference in Maine.

David is from Waterville, Maine, and has degrees from Wesleyan and Stanford universities. Honors include the Peabody, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University, Emmy, and Walter Cronkite awards. He is married to Mary Brancaccio, a poet and educator. They have three offspring, all adults. He likes making beer and building (and launching) pretty big rockets. Among his heroes are Edward R. Murrow and Wolfman Jack.

Latest from David Brancaccio

  • One of America’s biggest ports is trying to woo back shippers
    Mario Tama/Getty Images

    The Port of Los Angeles, which frequently ranks as the busiest in the U.S. alongside its sister port in Long Beach, has lost traffic recently due to concerns among shippers about ongoing labor negotiations between dockworkers and their employers. We talk to the Port of LA’s Executive Director about how they’ve been affected by the labor situation. Plus, the South Korean company Hanwah Q CELLS announced it will invest around $2.5 billion into U.S. solar manufacturing, starting with a manufacturing plant in Georgia. And, Japanese clothing giant Uniqlo said it would raise wages in Japan by up to 40 percent, reports the BBC’s Mariko Oi. 

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  • Recession warning from the World Bank
    Bastien Inzaurralde/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: The global economy is “perilously close” to a recession, warns from the World Bank. Ayhan Kose, the bank’s acting vice president for Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions, tells us how earnings growth in almost every part of the world is likely to be slower than it was during the decade before Covid-19. Plus, wage rises are on the way for some workers in Japan after the clothing retailer Uniqlo promised a 40% lift. And, we find out how Serbia’s gaming industry is benefiting from Russian exiles.

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  • Containers, ships and cranes at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Longshore union members are negotiating a new contract with their employers.
    Mario Tama/Getty Images

    Executive Director Gene Seroka says traffic has slowed in part because of labor talks between dockworkers and their employers.

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  • California due to face even more extreme weather
    Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

    The deluge in California is set to continue, with forecasts predicting further extreme weather in the coming days. The state has seen at least 14 deaths and a bevy of property damage resulting from flooding and mudslides. We look at the weather situation in the Golden State. Plus, Fed Chair Jerome Powell made comments today in Sweden suggesting further rate hikes to fight inflation, and that the Fed would not prioritize fighting climate change. Also, the House of Representatives voted today to strip funding from the IRS in a largely-symbolic measure. And, the BBC’s Will Bain takes a look at the economics of China’s reopening. 

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  • We might not want to rush and throw away all our trinkets, argues journalist Rob Walker.
    leezsnow/Getty Images

    Journalist Rob Walker talks about the potential merits of keeping some of that old clutter around the house.

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  • Some not-so-good climate news — with a silver lining
    Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

    A new report out today details the US climate picture from 2022. On the good side, renewable energy output surpassed coal for the first time — on the bad side, carbon emissions ticked up slightly, just over 1 percent from the previous year.  We break down the details. And, a chat with journalist Rob Walker about the merits of keeping all that old clutter around the house. 

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  • A demonstrator wearing a placard translating into 'Poor people hunter' with a caricature of the French President attends a rally as part of a push for wage hikes and the end of  pension reforms in Toulouse in September.
    A demonstrator wearing a placard translating into 'Poor people hunter' featuring a caricature of the French President at a rally against pension reforms in Toulouse in September. Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: At what age should you be able to retire? French President Emmanuel Macron is set for another showdown with trade unions as he tries to reform the state pension system. Plus, how smog is causing parts of India to grind to a halt. And, we hear from Seoul in South Korea where there are tight anti-Covid restrictions on travellers from China.

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  • Health care hiring is up significantly, but more is needed
    Mario Tama/Getty Images

    Over half a million workers were hired in the health sector last year, bringing the total number up near pre-pandemic levels. However, more personnel are needed as the population ages and backlogs remain from the peak of the pandemic. Also, a preview of tomorrow’s summit between President Biden and the leaders of Canada and Mexico. Then, economist Julia Coronado takes us through what’s been going on in Brazil’s economy. And, the view from China as it reopens its borders, including the one between Hong Kong and the mainland. 

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  • One underrated benefit of immigration? Higher innovation
    Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images

    Immigration has been found to have a litany of benefits for the host country, but one that’s often underappreciated is the boost in innovation brought by new arrivals. We chat with Marketplace’s Chris Farrell about a study that goes into the details. Also, a look at Brazil’s economy amid a tenuous political situation. And, Chinese captain of industry Jack Ma is giving up control of Alibaba’s financial affiliate Ant Group. 

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  • Immigrants stand for the national anthem before becoming American citizens. Chris Farrell says that datasets often underestimate the positive impact immigrants have on the economy.
    John Moore/Getty Images

    Chris Farrell says that immigrants can benefit the US economy in hard-to-quantify ways, such as innovation.

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David Brancaccio