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 (593)

Wholesale electricity prices were lower and less volatile last year

Jan 16, 2025
But how does that show up in your electricity bill?
Wholesale electricity prices have fallen since 2023, according to a report from the Energy Information Administration.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Housing remains a chief driver of inflation

Jan 15, 2025
Shelter costs were 4.6% higher in December than a year earlier, and they account for more than a third of the consumer price index.
The upward trend in shelter costs has eased from 8.2% annually in March 2023 to 4.6% last month.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

More people are working multiple jobs again. They have multiple reasons. 

Jan 8, 2025
Some Americans work a second job to make ends meet. Others do it to build up cash or gain experience in a different field.
The number of Americans working multiple jobs is higher than it was before the COVID pandemic began.
pixelfit/Getty Images

AI chatbots made inroads into holiday shopping last year

Jan 6, 2025
Use of customer service chatbots jumped, and retailers experimented with applications. For some, it can be tricky to sort through the options.

After years of debate, congestion pricing looks like it's coming to NYC

Dec 31, 2024
A lot of drivers hate the idea. Advocates say mass transit commuters will love the improvements it pays for.
Proponents of congestion pricing say fewer vehicles will improve traffic flow and air quality in Manhattan. Above, traffic on Third Avenue and 40th Street in November.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

New limits on Medicare drug costs start at start of year

Dec 30, 2024
The caps are mandated by the Inflation Reduction Act. No Medicare patient will pay more than $2,000 out of pocket for prescription drugs.
Before the Inflation Reduction Act, there was no cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for people with Medicare.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Car sales, prices tick up as more Americans think it's time to buy

Dec 25, 2024
End-of-year deals, along with replacement of vehicles lost to hurricanes and anticipation of higher prices in 2025, may be prodding buyers.

More people are volunteering again after a big pandemic drop

Dec 23, 2024
Nearly 76 million Americans volunteered in 2023, up from about 60 million in 2021, a survey from AmeriCorps and the Census Bureau says.

Americans love a good steak — and a good deal

Dec 19, 2024
Darden's same-store sales have been up at most of its more casual restaurants. But same-store sales at its finer-dining restaurants were down.

What were the most popular cities to move to in 2024?

Dec 18, 2024
People are seeking more affordable homes in exurbs and small cities in the Northeast and Midwest, according to new data from Zillow.