Week of December 31st, 2018

If you took some time over the holidays to catch a movie or two, chances are you sat through a lot of stuff that was not the movie, but a list of names on a screen. You get the pre-movie credits, you get the post-movie credits, which might have an Easter egg hidden in them, […]

The latest jobs numbers suggest that more people are looking for work, with the labor force participation rate ticking up a bit in December. So who’s looking for work, and what’s driving them back into the job market? To find out, we talked to some people who are looking for a job and some who […]

Employers added 312,000 jobs in December, according to the Labor Department. That’s far more jobs than expected. And yet, the unemployment rate rose from 3.7 to 3.9 percent. More jobs, higher unemployment. How’s that work? It has something to do with the labor force participation rate. Click the audio player above to hear the full […]

The Labor Department’s jobs report for December was unequivocally strong, but it can be hard to square a good month of hiring with predictions of an economic slowdown and the market turbulence as of late. But when it comes to economic data, there’s a difference between learning how the economy’s been doing and how the […]

There are many mixed signals on China's economy in 2019.

With Brexit looming and amid economic uncertainty, Europe faces some strong headwinds.

How Alfonso Cuarón's latest film set in 1970s Mexico resonates with domestic workers today.

The Department of Labor announced that 312,000 jobs were added in December to U.S. businesses. Unemployment also went up, but that’s partially tied to the increased labor participation rate. Then we look at car sales, which still look strong despite the chaotic stock market activity and rising interest rates. Automakers say more than 17 million new cars and light trucks were sold last year. We also check out, in a way, the movie “Roma,” a critically acclaimed Netflix film that tells the story of a domestic worker in Mexico. So, how did real-life domestic workers feel about it? Today’s show is sponsored by Indeed, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage and WizardPins.

Job growth at this pace is a sign that the economy will continue to expand for a 10th straight year.

The median home sale in the borough has dipped below $1 million for the first time since 2015.

The NFL has partnered with casino operator Caesars Entertainment as the league’s first official casino sponsor.

For the fifth time in a year, the People’s Bank of China has cut down on the amount of cash banks have to keep in reserve. It’s another way China is combatting a decrease in growth. Also, the arrival of 2019 brings new rules for hospitals: They now have to post prices for their services online. It’s a move to transparency, but not everyone is convinced. In football news, the NFL has locked down its first-ever deal with a gambling company. The league has been slower than other sports leagues to forge partnerships with the gambling industry. Today’s show is sponsored by Indeed, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage and WizardPins.

From the BBC World Service … Germany has seen its biggest personal-data leak with information on hundreds of politicians – reportedly including Chancellor Angela Merkel – and journalists surfacing online. Then, global markets are taking on a bit of optimism after a bruising start to the year on hopes for a deal between the U.S. and China. Trade talks are set to officially restart next week. But how high level will the participants be? Afterwards, the holidays are over, but that doesn’t mean the celebration season is gone.  If you’re still shopping for that show-stopping party costume, we’ll take you to a place where some of the most iconic, highly priced accessories go on the auction block. Today’s show is sponsored by Indeed, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage and WizardPins.

If you live in a city with a lot of tech companies, expect that city to be pretty empty next week. That’s because tens of thousands of people are headed to Las Vegas for the annual tech trade show, CES. It’s the place where companies roll out their newest technologies, from huge televisions to gaming laptops to virtual reality gear to Wi-Fi connected plant feeders. It’s all there, but the tech industry has also changed a lot in the many years that CES has been happening. For one thing, it used to be called the Consumer Electronics Show. But the name has since officially changed to just CES. Because it’s not just all about the gadgets anymore, says Nicholas Thompson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine. Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood talks with Thompson about what to expect at the trade show this year. (01/04/19)

Privacy features could take center stage at this year's show.

A new system can help you find out.

Robert Kaplan, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, on Thursday told Bloomberg that the Fed ought to think about slowing down how quickly it’s shrinking its balance sheet. What’s a balance sheet? It’s a ledger of the Fed’s assets and liabilities that, in the middle of the financial crisis, the Fed expanded as […]

Last time she was speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi implemented a 100-hour plan. What’s on the agenda this time around?

Bristol-Myers Squibb announced Thursday that it’s going to acquire another drugmaker, Celgene. The deal is worth about $74 billion. The combined company will have nine products with sales of more than a billion dollars a year, including some blockbuster cancer drugs. The merger is a sign that Big Pharma is betting big on cancer medications. […]

The NFL playoffs begin this weekend amid a scoring boom in football — and basketball as well.

It's about being present in the moment.

Cook also attributes challenges in China to the projected downturn in revenue.

We’re seeing a transition of power in Washington on Thursday. Democrats, led by new Speaker Nancy Pelosi, take over the House, while Republicans continue to hold the Senate. As the government shutdown continues, Congress’ first challenge will be flipping the lights back on in major portions of the federal government. What else is on the […]

The construction industry is hindered by the lack of spending numbers.

The rise of renting in Cleveland offers a glimpse into the region's economy.

People are now wondering what an economic slowdown in China might mean for the rest of the world after Apple’s downgraded revenue forecast pointed to slowing iPhone sales in the country. Also, the Department of Labor is trying to fix its visa application website after it crashed earlier this week. You can’t blame the shutdown for this; instead this is tied to a record number of requests for temporary worker permits. We then look at how renting has become the residential method of choice following the burst of the housing bubble. This is especially true in places like Cleveland, Ohio, which have typically seen as an “affordable” places not to rent, but to buy a house. Today’s show is sponsored by Indeed, Pitney Bowes and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.

Apple’s Wednesday announcement of weaker iPhone sales in China affecting its revenue forecast has made an impact on the global markets. Shaun Rein of the China Market Research Group walks us through the news. Then, we look at the effects of the partial government shutdown on the construction business, which is missing key economic data that would have been released by the Commerce Department. Also, we look at how some states are handling medical leave, as many people are wary of the unpaid leave afforded them by the Family Medical Leave Act. Today’s show is sponsored by Indeed, Pitney Bowes and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage. 

From the BBC World Service … Apple’s warning that China’s economic slowdown is hitting iPhone sales has spooked markets around the world. We’ll get the latest reaction from an economist in Hong Kong who says slowing sales has more to do with Apple’s products than China’s economy. Then, despite a longtime love for gold in India, demand for the precious metal declined in 2018 as young Indians began losing interest. We’ll take you there to find out why. Today’s show is sponsored by Indeed, Pitney Bowes and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage. 

This week we’re looking ahead at what to expect in tech and business in 2019. Today we’re diving into tech policy and regulation. There’s the possibility of federal privacy legislation, net neutrality is still on the table, tons of state laws are in the works, and, in 2018 we saw the first big challenges around Section 230, the law that says tech platforms aren’t legally responsible for everything that gets posted on their platforms. That language in Section 230 is really crucial to the digital economy. But in 2018, Congress passed a law holding Google, Facebook and others responsible for sex trafficking posts on their sites. Molly Wood talks with Cecilia Kang, who covers tech policy for The New York Times. (01/03/19)

After a turbulent year, big tech is bound to face more scrutiny.

For Iris Brilliant, the first step is to ask clients to not get richer.

As of this week, there are some tariffs around the world that are falling. Six Pacific Rim nations, including Japan, Australia and Mexico, are lowering tariffs for a number of products and services, with five other countries set to join in once their governments formally ratify the deal. Notably absent from the party? The United […]

The city's Vision Zero program has cut road deaths by a third over five years

The U.S. dollar had a pretty hot year in 2018: The Wall Street Journal’s Dollar Index put it up 4.3 percent last year against a basket of 16 other currencies. But up in 2018 may mean down in 2019, as many currency analysts predicting a weakening for the dollar in year ahead. Click the audio […]

Fear is the dominant emotion as the U.K. risks crashing out of the European Union without a deal.

While moviegoers were busy saying “meh” to a couple of new Hollywood offerings (“Vice” and “Holmes & Watson”), at least 45 million of them caught most of Netflix’s “Bird Box.” (That’s how many users the streaming service reports watched at least 70 percent of the horror film.) How is Netflix doing in the battle for our […]

A cybersecurity researcher gave us a guided tour.

We get a grand tour of her company's headquarters.

One in 10 renters in Richmond, Virginia lose their homes to eviction every year

We check in with Susan Schmidt of Aviva Investors to talk about the activity on the markets, which face the same issues they did at the start of the holidays, but now there’s data indicating a slowdown of global growth. We also check in on how charities are scrambling to lessen the blow of potential losses as the new tax law gave Americans less reason to donate. Finally, we end with a trip to Richmond, Virginia, which has one of the highest eviction rates in the country. A new coalition has emerged there to help change that. Today’s show is sponsored by Indeed, Pitney Bowes and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.     

Employees at Sprint’s suburban campus say they’ve weathered many rounds of lay-offs over the last 20 years, so change is the norm.

Oil prices have been falling for the past 12 months, with the president taking credit for it on social media. However, there are a variety of other factors in play. Then, we head to the movies, where 2018 proved to be a banner year for ticket sales, but that didn’t stop plenty of movie buffs from staying on their couches during the holidays to catch releases like “Bird Box” on Netflix, which at least 45 million people watched. Also, we look at possible big changes in the cell phone industry that could lead to a new lineup of companies. At the heart of change could be Sprint’s home town of Kansas City, Mo., as a merger between Sprint and fellow phone giant T-Mobile is on the table. Today’s show is sponsored by Indeed, Pitney Bowes and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.     

From the BBC World Service … The new year ushers in a new president for Brazil, as Jair Bolsonaro is sworn in. We look at the why the far-right former army captain has received positive reviews from the Brazilian business community. Unifying Taiwan with China is the “Chinese Dream” says President Xi Jinping – but Taiwanese investors are wary about setting up in China as business could suffer from intellectual theft. Today’s show is sponsored by Indeed, Pitney Bowes and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage. 

All this week, we’re looking ahead to 2019 and what’s likely to be big in business and technology. This year, expect the space economy to really take off. According to Space Angels, an investment firm that specializes in aerospace, private investment in space-related businesses has gone from a handful of companies and a couple hundred million dollars in 2009 to 375 companies and $15 billion today. The Trump administration is making space a huge economic priority, as well as a military one, creating a new Space Command in December to oversee and organize the country’s space-based operations. Kimberly Adams, a senior reporter at Marketplace and our resident space expert, says those moves are all part of an international race to space that’s got money at its core. (01/02/19)

Will America be leading the way?

Early retail data suggests 2018 was a strong year for retail, particularly online. According to Mastercard, online sales through November and December were up 5.1 percent over the same period last year. And as Americans buy more online, they also encounter more and more online product reviews.  According to Gaby Del Valle, a reporter at […]

Amid the chaos, you need to form an instant connection with patients.

It’s not often that a year is riven with so many momentous economic changes.  But 2018 was full of them: big ones — a large increase in government spending, low unemployment levels not seen in decades, trade conflicts, interest rate uncertainty, recession fears. Here’s a look at what 2019 inherited from 2018, and the issues to […]

Democrats in the House are aiming to pass two bills this Thursday that would fund government agencies and put hundreds of thousands of federal workers back on the job.

A lot of us have an image of what they look like. Is it justified?

Recent devastating wildfires burned down more than 300 homes in Malibu, California — one of the wealthiest cities in California. Many homeowners there employed gardeners and housekeepers who lost their jobs. Oscar Mondragόn, the director of the Malibu Community Labor Exchange, where day workers find work, says it’s too early to tell how many workers were […]

Caring for the elderly is expensive for insurers and for families.

For the first time in a decade the industry is seeing more demand than it can supply.

But it will rule more devices.

"America's middle class is under attack," the Massachusetts senator says in Monday's presidential announcement.

Twenty states are raising their minimum wages as we usher in 2019.

The impasse over border wall funding is likely the first of many spending battles facing the new divided Congress.

Health care stocks paved the way for Monday's modest gains, but major U.S. indexes ended 2018 in the red.

“We are not primarily here because of too many trips to Starbucks,” author Elizabeth White says.

In business-friendly Texas, lawmakers could crack down on sand mines amid flooding concerns.

(Markets Edition) We discuss the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the newest version of which went into effect Monday and is helping six countries cut up to 90 percent of tariffs. Then, economist Julia Coronado stops by to discuss some of the factors that will impact the global economy in 2019. Finally, we check out how Instagram has become a financial haven for pets who become social media superstars. Today’s show is sponsored by Netsuite and Wasabi Technologies.

This isn’t a bad time to be in the independent bookstore business. The American Booksellers Association says there’s been a nearly 31 percent increase in the number of indie bookstores since 2009. The indie renaissance coincides with the collapse of national book chains. One threat to bookstores’ future: rising rents and labor costs. Click the […]

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service … China’s factory activity contracts for the first time in two years. As the world’s second-biggest economy continues to slow, how much of the U.S.-China trade war is dragging on growth? Bangladesh’s leader Sheikh Hasina wins a record fourth term in office following her success with the economy. But critics allege that her party is becoming increasingly authoritarian. And, the Zanzibar archipelago off the east coast of Africa is trying to clamp down on the lucrative illegal trade in spices. Today’s show is sponsored by Netsuite and Wasabi Technologies.

(U.S. Edition) The partial government shutdown has reached 10 days, with hundreds of thousands of government employees working without pay. The main sticking point behind the shutdown remains about funding for heightened security along the U.S. border with Mexico. We take a quick look at the markets, but also talk with Reva Goujon, VP of Global Analysis at Stratfor, about the forces that could affect the global economy in 2019. Then, we dive into the re-emergence of the independent bookstore. Today’s show is sponsored by Netsuite and Wasabi Technologies.

It is New Year’s Eve, and that means we made it to the end of 2018, which was by any account a huge year in the world of business and technology. It was a year of gigantic data and privacy scandals, Amazon’s search for a second headquarters and MoviePass turning out to be too good to be true. This week, we look back at the year that was and ahead to the stories that will be big in 2019. Molly Wood talks with Tom Merritt, host of the “Daily Tech News Show.” (12/31/18)

Executive summary: The GDPR is coming for you.

As a year of social media scandals ends, let’s revisit our talk with internet law professor Kate Klonick.