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Samantha Fields

Senior Reporter

SHORT BIO

Samantha Fields is a senior reporter at Marketplace.

She’s particularly interested in how the economy affects people’s everyday lives, and a lot of her coverage focuses on economic inequality, housing and climate change.

She’s also reported and produced for WCAI and The GroundTruth Project, the “NPR Politics Podcast,” NPR’s midday show, “Here & Now,” Vermont Public Radio and Maine Public Radio. She got her start in journalism as a reporter for a community paper, The Wellesley Townsman, and her start in radio as an intern and freelance producer at “The Takeaway” at WNYC. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Latest Stories (613)

USDA cuts funding that paid for fresh, local food for schools and food banks

Mar 14, 2025
The programs accounted for more than a billion dollars’ worth of contracts for small farmers, ranchers and fishermen.
Iowa farmer Emma Johnson says school and food bank contracts would have made up about 25% of sales this year.
Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Student loan borrowers blocked from more affordable repayment plans, for now

Mar 13, 2025
The Education Department has paused applications to more affordable plans amid lawsuits against a Biden administration program known as SAVE.
The Education Department temporarily stopped accepting and processing applications for income-driven plans because of a court case against a Biden administration program.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Employee confidence in February was the lowest in 9 years, survey says

Mar 12, 2025
Just 44.4% of workers have a positive business outlook for their employers for the next six months, according to data from Glassdoor.
People are increasingly worried about their own job security, Glassdoor found, especially those who work in government. Above, recently laid off federal workers express frustration at the Washington office of Maine Sen. Susan Collins.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Many Americans expect their financial situation to deteriorate this year

Mar 10, 2025
According to the results of a survey by the New York Fed, a growing number of people are pessimistic about their finances. But economic indicators show economy is still strong.
Americans are increasingly concerned about their own financial futures, a new New York Fed survey shows — that's different from an overall negative outlook on the economy.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Amid much uncertainty, the job market is clearly softening

Mar 5, 2025
Private-sector hiring slowed down in February and small businesses cut jobs. Plus, new unemployment claims were up last week.
The weaker labor market is tied to the Fed's inflation-cooling measures as well as the many unknowns related to the Trump administration's economic policies.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Convenient online delivery is one factor driving customers away from brick-and-mortar drug stores.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Bird flu is spreading on farms. What's being done to prevent it?

Mar 3, 2025
The Biden administration spent upwards of $2 billion on bird flu monitoring and prevention. Trump's administration just announced another billion. Where is it money going?
"Allowing this virus to spread unchecked is just not an option,” says Jennifer Nuzzo of Brown’s Pandemic Center about bird flu.
Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

Unemployment claims rose last week. What does that tell us about the economy?

Feb 27, 2025
Weekly claims are volatile, but taken in context with other recent economic indicators, this week's spike is a warning sign.
Economists are on the lookout for any sign of weakness in the labor market, said Andrew Stettner at The Century Foundation.
Bill Oxford/Getty Images

Home prices continued to rise in December

Feb 25, 2025
Prices are now rising fastest in the Northeast, and slowing in some Sunbelt markets that saw big spikes early in the pandemic.
Home prices rose in December, according to the Case-Shiller Index.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Trump administration pulls federal approval of congestion pricing in New York City

Feb 20, 2025
New York became the first city in the country to implement congestion pricing in January.
New York is the first U.S. city to implement congestion pricing.
Alex Kent/Getty Images