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 (527)

How do you prevent New York City subway flooding in extreme rain?

Oct 30, 2023
Climate change is making extreme rain more common. Raised metal grates and higher curbs are helping at the Chambers Street station.
As torrential downpours become more common in the Northeast, the MTA and the city are trying to mitigate stormwater flooding in part by raising curbs and metal grates.
John Lamparski/Getty Images

With many homebuyers priced out, builders try to sweeten the deal

Oct 25, 2023
A lot of homebuilders are working with lenders to offer lower mortgage rates — or they're offering other incentives like money towards closing costs.
ANNVIPS/iStock / Getty Images Plu

Change may come to H-1B visa program, which opens doors for tech workers

Oct 24, 2023
Many more people — and companies — want H-1Bs than the number available. Proposed changes would make it harder to game the system.
Some companies have been submitting multiple H-1B visa applications for the same person.
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Most U.S. households will spend less on heating this winter, agency says

Oct 16, 2023
It's good news for natural gas users, but a less positive outlook for heating oil consumers and low-income households.
Natural gas prices should be down this winter, but the biggest variable is temperature, says Joe DeCarolis, of the Energy Information Administration.
Getty Images

Companies that include salary ranges in job listings are reaping the benefits

Oct 16, 2023
Hiring managers that include pay ranges in job postings tend to receive more applications and more qualified candidates.
"Job postings that include salary data receive about 50% more applications on average," said ZipRecruiter's Julia Pollak.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

FTC proposes new rule to increase transparency around junk fees

Oct 11, 2023
One area particularly hard hit by these extra charges: apartment rent. And the fees aren't always disclosed before tenants sign the lease.
The proposed FTC rule would require landlords and management companies to tell prospective tenants about extra fees, like for filing online maintenance requests or calculating each apartment’s share of the utilities, before they sign a lease.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Authors feel economic impact when their books are banned

Oct 11, 2023
While some authors report an uptick in sales following the attention of book bans, bans can be detrimental for others.
Book bans "can be quite detrimental to the economics of that book," said Kasey Meehan, program director of Freedom to Read at PEN America.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Homebuyers face a double whammy: rising mortgage rates and rising prices

Oct 5, 2023
The average monthly payment on a new mortgage rose 46% in 2022, and home prices and mortgage rates have continued to climb in 2023.
With home prices and interest rates so high, people are increasingly having trouble qualifying for a mortgage.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Most CEOs are confident about the future of the economy and their own company

Oct 5, 2023
But fewer CEOs feel confident of their firm’s fortunes than last year, a KPMG survey shows. More execs also want people back in the office.
Last year, 95% of CEOs said they were confident about their own company’s growth prospects. This year, it's 79%. Still high, but a big drop.
asbe/Getty Images

For young people looking to move out on their own, the rent is high and competition is intense

Oct 4, 2023
Nearly half of people 18 to 29 are currently living at home with their families, many because they just can't afford to move out.
For young first-time apartment hunters, a good credit score and enough savings can make or break the search.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images