Week of August 31st, 2015

Average hourly pay for Americans increased an anemic 0.3 percent in August.

The latest jobs report; “full employment” explained; and why the U.S. isn’t taking in more refugees.    

Maybe not until we see employers bidding up wages.

Leigh Gallagher and John Carney join Amy Scott to recap the week.

Clinton and Rubio visit the territory, whose debt is worse than most states.

Resettlement is a long process.

People with cognitive disabilities are living longer, straining their caregivers.

Try a Faustian pact with an eccentric billionaire.

This week, Marketplace Weekend host Lizzie O’Leary looks at how oil plays a big role throughout our economy. We break down the history of America’s reliance on oil, check in with an oil worker who travels throughout the world to work on rigs and learn why a gallon of gas costs what it does.

The environmental costs of leaks and spills are devastating, too.

It's now cheaper to make new plastic than to recycle the old.

Jobs report for August, sanctions against China, and a change in the healthcare industry.

The Fed faces continuing employment recovery as it contemplates interest rates.

Ridership goes down when they are required, research shows.

Even if crude oil prices rise, the end of summer reduces demand for gas.

Quartz and Marketplace listen to 'data,' and talk about Wi-Fi allergies.

Airing on Friday, September 4, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll talk about Microsoft’s overseas data warrants; luxury ecommerce; and Erin Ryan of Jezebel joins us for Silicon Tally.

Airing on Friday, September 4, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll talk about the wild week for oil prices; the record low prices for gas; and a look at two small business exporters and the Transpacific Trade Partnership.

The new type of generic drug could reduce costs of cutting-edge medicines.

How much would the Trans-Pacific Partnership help these companies?

Here are the numbers we're reading and watching for Friday.

Cameron has been firmly refusing to open the doors wider, but that might change.

Gogo controls 80 percent of the US market.

Tell your stories about borders.

Gas prices are not as easy to calculate as you might think.

The hard math of migration; shopping for CEOs; and Forcing the issue.  

Only 1 percent of refugees worldwide end up formally resettled.

Do companies look for homegrown candidates or bet on an outsider?

Airing on Thursday, September 3, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll talk about China’s announcement that it will cut 300,000 people from its military, and more on a study that finds positive association between family income and brain surface area.

Can doubling down on luxury wearables save Samsung?

Airing on Thursday, September 3, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll talk about Samsung’s new smart watch, and why Microsoft, Google, Netflix and other tech giants are teaming up battle buffering.

A new study looks at home values in areas prone to natural disasters.

Two reports bring the divergence into relief.

The announcement from President Xi Jinping came before a military parade.

Here are the numbers we're reading and watching for Thursday.

Thursday's military pageant in Tian'anmen Square comes at a crucial time.

It takes a lot of money, and humans dialing phones, to get a quality survey.

It's 'the difference between push and pull.'

A look back at war bonds; CNN’s new criteria for main-stage candidates; and how economics define migrants and refugees.   

Scattering events over many months keeps fans buzzing on Facebook and Twitter.

There was certainly once a hole in one golf course.

Listen to Nour Ammar's story as she travels the road to asylum.

A decade ago they were close to bankrupt. Now, everything is awesome.

Airing on Wednesday, September 2, 2015: The victory for Uber drivers in court; how nixing the Iran nuclear deal could undermine the dollar’s status in the global economy; and the stranglehold universities often have on their own branding.

Airing on Wednesday, September 2, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll talk about the impact of China’s slow down on electronic parts makers, and Katie Notopoulos of Buzzfeed joins us to talk about “Duck Army.”

Customers don’t like waiting, and the country's largest retailer knows it.

Universities are aggressive about protecting their trademark rights.

Ken McGee sold the debt securities for $18.75, going door-to-door in Oklahoma.

The Obama administration says the US currency's dominance could be undermined.

Here are the numbers we're reading and watching for Wednesday.

Some L.A. realtors resort to Hollywood-worthy productions to sell a house.

Bottled water is about to become the most popular packaged beverage in the U.S.

Another stock market plunge, StubHub’s pricing model and conflict within the European Union over the migrant crisis. 

The ticket reseller built fees into the prices, and buyers went elsewhere

This obscure little element of the NYSE playbook helps take the stress out of trading

The flood of migrants and refugees is forcing Europeans to question their values.

After criticism, Vassar College tries to become a more inclusive campus.

Amid Myanmar's minimum-wage announcement, a brief look at different countries' minimum wages.

Companies could face fines of up to $1500 per faulty call.

Airing on Tuesday, September 1, 2015: On today’s show, global markets react as China’s manufacturing contracts; why medical debt collectors are up in arms over a recent FCC ruling; and the tricks of the trade of luxury real estate brokers.  

Airing on Tuesday, September 1, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll have more on Apple’s partnership with Cisco; Netflix’s decision to let go of some big name movies; and potential U.S. sanctions against China for cyber spying/theft.

Parting ways with Epix won't be a big blow. It's focusing on its own programming.

Retailers must deal with frugal customers who grab deals and dash.

Here are the numbers we're reading and watching for Tuesday.

The BBC speaks to refugees about Hungary's razor wire border fence.

Owner Steve Presser fights online shopping and price checking with kindness.

Climate change in the state that oil built; Wes Craven’s horror legacy; and competition in cable boxes. 

As the director demonstrated, it doesn't take a big budget to make a huge hit.

The FCC is considering whether to make those purchases easier.

Melting ice leads to more drilling, which leads to more warming and melting ….

How do bands decide which cities to play and which to pass on tour?

Industry profits are at new highs, but passengers still feel so squeezed.

Airing on Monday, August 31, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll talk about the factors at play in a decision on interest rates; the pros and cons of ETFs; and the boom in business behind movie trailers.

Airing Monday, August 31, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll talk about the business of tasers, the technology of democracy, and learning javelin…through YouTube.

The infrastructure behind these funds may not be keeping up with their growth.

A good one can attract millions of viewers online, long before the film opens.

President Obama is visiting Alaska and the Arctic to talk about climate change.

Here are the numbers we're watching and stories we're reading for Monday.