Justin Ho

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Justin is a reporter for Marketplace. He’s based in San Diego, California.

Justin focuses on small business, banking and supply chain news. He also hosts the Closing Bell edition of the “Marketplace Minute,” a daily news roundup, and has worked as the show producer of the “Marketplace Morning Report.” He started working at Marketplace in 2011.

Justin spends a lot of his downtime mountain biking, surf fishing and grappling with decision paralysis over which bike parts and fishing gear to buy next.

Episodes by Justin (161)

Marketplace Minute

Mortgage rates tick down

May 9, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Wholesale inventories tick down

May 8, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Logistics sector slows in April

May 7, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Job satisfaction shows signs of slipping

May 6, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Job gains slow down in April

May 3, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Productivity increases at slower pace

May 2, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Federal Reserve keeps interest rates unchanged

May 1, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Pay increases speed up in the first quarter

Apr 30, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

FCC fines wireless carriers over location sharing

Apr 29, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Inflation picks up in March

Apr 26, 2024

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Latest Stories (700)

Why services inflation is stickier than goods inflation

by Justin Ho

Oct 27, 2023

Goods inflation has slowed down a lot over the last year, thanks in part to higher interest rates. But the Federal Reserve is having a harder time slowing services inflation.

Services inflation has stayed high because those prices, like for a haircut, are heavily influenced by wages.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

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Entrepreneurship can narrow the gender pay gap, but it's not a perfect solution.

by Justin Ho

Oct 24, 2023

Three women entrepreneurs talk about their experiences starting their own businesses, and whether it helped them get better pay and flexibility.

For some women, running their own business can give them more flexibility to care for kids or spend time with family. But it's still an imperfect solution to the gender pay gap.

Cicy/Getty Images

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Lululemon is the latest to join the S&P 500 — and gain access to billions in investment

by Justin Ho

Oct 18, 2023

But it comes with strings attached.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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Did retail sales grow because we bought more stuff, or did the stuff get more expensive?

by Justin Ho

Oct 17, 2023

The way the Census Bureau calculates its retail sales data wasn't an issue until prices started rising a couple years back.

Grocery store spending rose 0.4% in September, according to the Census Bureau.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

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Higher tariffs may be bad for trade, but good for the environment

by Justin Ho

Oct 16, 2023

Recent research finds that higher tariffs on dirtier imports could reduce carbon emissions.

Steel production in the U.S. is a lot cleaner now than before the 1970s, thanks to the use of more energy-efficient electric arc furnaces. Above, a steel plant in Pennsylvania.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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With higher interest rates, small businesses and lenders proceed with caution

by Justin Ho

Oct 10, 2023

Only a quarter of small businesses say they're getting the credit they need, according to the National Federation of Independent Business.

Some banks have been more cautious about lending to certain sectors of the economy that aren’t doing so well. That includes commercial real estate.

Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

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Commercial warehouse use expands at fast pace

by Justin Ho

Oct 3, 2023

Transportation and warehousing data shows second month of growth. Firms try to fine-tune planning in wake of supply chain snarls.

In recent years, erratic supply chain conditions have frustrated companies trying to plan how much inventory to store in warehouses.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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Why U.S. agricultural exports are down almost 20% from last year

by Justin Ho

Sep 29, 2023

In August, agricultural exports were about 20% lower than the same time a year ago, according to the Commerce Department. That's because export volumes have fallen, and ag prices are coming off of recent highs.

"We have soybean exports down, corn exports are down, wheat exports are down," said Naomi Blohm, senior market advisor with Total Farm Marketing.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

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Mortgages are still in demand. Qualifying for one is a different story.

by Justin Ho

Sep 29, 2023

Pending home sales fell more than 7% in August, according to the National Association of Realtors. While demand for homes is still high, people are having a harder time qualifying for mortgages — and that's intensifying demand for cheaper homes.

"A lot of our borrowers are assuming that in 3 or 5 years, those interest rates are going to have come back down," said Chris Duncan of La Salle State Bank at Illinois.

Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

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Aircraft orders can distort economic data. They also propel a lot of economic activity.

by Justin Ho

Sep 27, 2023

Their volatility can overshadow broader trends. But those orders are just the start of a long, expansive manufacturing supply chain.

While aircraft orders jump around month to month, the supply chain, which involves thousands of companies, never stops.

Juliette Michel/AFP via Getty Images

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Justin Ho

Reporter

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Episodes by Justin (161)

Latest Stories (700)

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