❗Let's close the gap: We still need your help to raise $40,000 by April 1. Donate now

Sabri Ben-Achour

Correspondent & Host

SHORT BIO

My job is to do what I can to help all of us understand the economic forces that shape our lives and our world.

What was your first job?

I was a waiter!

What do you think is the hardest part of your job that no one knows?

It can be hard to break down complex topics quickly and fairly.

In your next life, what would your career be?

A chemist or a geneticist, I think.

What’s your most memorable Marketplace moment?

Playing with giant horseshoe crabs under the moonlight as they swam ashore to spawn. (It was for a story on how their blood is used in the medical industry).

What’s the favorite item in your workspace and why?

My plants. I water them when I'm stressed. They get a lot of water.

Latest Stories (592)

Manufacturing sector shows more signs of cooling

Jan 24, 2023
Monthly data from the Federal Reserve shows a slowdown in shipments, new orders and employment in the sector.
The manufacturing sector added only 8,000 jobs per month in November and December — well below the average of 32,000.
Megan Jelinger/Getty images

What's behind the larger Social Security checks?

This month Social Security checks went up by an 8.7% cost of living increase. But what happens to social security in the future?
Marketplace Senior Economics Contributor Chris Farrell outlines the benefits of this month's boost to government retiree benefits.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Has the drop in immigration contributed to inflation?

Jan 20, 2023
Immigrants have accounted for a major share of labor force growth for years, increasing production, which keeps inflation lower, experts say.
Immigration to the U.S. dropped dramatically during the pandemic. Above, new U.S. citizens at a naturalization ceremony in Massachusetts on Jan. 5.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Should the Federal Reserve slow interest rate hikes?

Jan 19, 2023
We don’t yet know if the Fed's rate hikes have fully shown up in the economy. That could take many months.
For now, markets are assuming the Federal Reserve will ease up on rate hikes at its next meeting on Feb. 1.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Baked goods and cereals cost 16% more in December. What gives?

Jan 12, 2023
Per the consumer price index, bread and cookies cost more dough because their ingredients do too. Yes, the government tracks cookies.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Sanctions designed to keep the price of Russian oil low seem to be working

Jan 10, 2023
Whether they $60 a barrel price cap will continue to work in the long run is an open question though.
Russian oil is trading at prices well below those of oil from other countries after the implementation of oil price caps. Above, a refinery on the outskirts of Moscow.
Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images

"The Netflix Model" for antibiotics

Jan 3, 2023
The antibiotics market is "fragile and broken," but governments are considering some fixes.
A version of the "Netflix model" is already underway in the United Kingdom. Above, bottles of antibiotics line a pharmacy shelf.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

War in Ukraine disrupts Europe's green energy plans for the moment

Dec 27, 2022
The conflict has forced the continent to rely on coal.
Snow lies in a residential area while smoke rises from the chimneys of a coal-fired power plant in the background during a sub-zero day on Dec. 15, 2022 in Korbetha near Halle, Germany.
Photo by Jens Schlueter/Getty Images

How the (weak) ties that bind can aid your job prospects

Dec 26, 2022
A social science theory dives into the mechanics of who you know.
The theory of the "strength of weak ties" notes that acquaintances — more than close connections — can benefit your job hunt.
Getty Images

The free market is failing us on antibiotics

Dec 22, 2022
The free market is pretty simple: There’s supply, there’s demand, they meet somewhere in the middle. If there’s a need, there’s a product. But sometimes, that system breaks down, as it has in the market for antibiotics.
Above, a pharmacist measures out antibiotic pills. Only a handful of biotechs are currently developing new antibiotics.  
Joe Raedle/Getty Images