Week of September 1st, 2025

Rising long-term unemployment is a bad sign for the overall labor market. Plus: the shipping industry, the warehousing industry, and a recap of the week’s economic headlines.

Merchant mariners are aging out of the workforce. Will there be enough new cadets to expand the fleet? 

People expect news about the market, but these changes are considered “noise.”

The number of people who have spent six months or more looking for work has been rising.

Demand to lease industrial spaces — meaning warehouses that store everything from car parts to construction materials — shrank by 11.3 million square feet in the second quarter of 2025.

Today, we'll learn how the COO of a Queens-based sound effect equipment business is handling the lack of predictability.

The climate crisis is raising costs for everything from housing to food.

The Treasury Department released a preliminary list of jobs eligible for President Donald Trump’s $25,000 “no tax on tips” deduction, and it had a few jobs that you might not expect.

The U.S. and Japan have finalized their trade deal a month and a half after it was announced.

“Death By Audio,” a special effect sound equipment shop, is taking things day by day amid an unpredictable tariff landscape.

From the BBC World Service: Until now, bosses and employees in China have frequently bypassed pension regulations in return for higher wages. That’s changing.

Natasha Mascarenhas, reporter at The Information, joins Marketplace’s Nova Safo on “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

We explain. Plus: destigmatizing layoffs, loan demand and a CPI walkthrough.

Nicole Cervi at Wells Fargo explains how she uses public inflation and jobs data in her work.

Melanie Ehrenkranz writes Laid Off, a newsletter she describes as “the coolest place on the internet to talk about being laid off.”

Slower demand for imports combined with a greater supply of ships means lower shipping costs overall.

According to the August Beige Book, nearly every district reported a modest rise in demand for loans.

The Federal Reserve Board of Governors is in the news, but don’t forget that five of the twelve people voting on interest rates are Fed regional bank presidents. 

Fresh data out this morning revealed that the private sector added only 54,000 jobs last month.

Streameast, the world’s largest illegal sports streaming platform, has been shut down after a sting operation by law enforcement in Egypt. But in the streaming era, the cost of being a loyal and legal sports fan is higher than ever.

There's a black market trade for everything — including ants. (Yes, even ants.)

Government cuts have increased the threat of invasive ant species in the United States.

From the BBC World Service: India's Finance Minister has announced massive tax cuts on hundreds of everyday consumer items.

Newly uncovered documents reveal how law enforcement agencies have quietly turned off accountability tools that indicate which police reports were written by AI, according to investigative journalist Tekendra Parmar.

We analyze what’s next for the labor market. Plus: homeownership blues, TikTok sitcoms, and retailer ad revenue.

The number of households that are homeowners in the U.S. has fallen, ever so slightly, by 0.1% year on year. Still, today’s homeownership rate of 65% is par for the course. 

Employers have added an anemic 35,333 jobs per month since May.

Amazon launched its third party ad service in January and Macy’s is the biggest brand yet to sign on.

Hiring in health care has helped propel the job market, but that momentum is slowing.

A scripted comedy series on TikTok has racked up over 4 million views. Most viewers don’t know that it’s a marketing campaign.

The future of climate-conscious investing.

Tax credits that helped more than 20 million people afford health insurance are set to expire this year — and small business owners and the self-employed stand to be among the hardest hit. 

In 2021, Congress made insurance more affordable for 90% of people buying on the marketplaces. Those tax credits are set to expire.

Uncertainty about inflation and tariffs is making more large companies think about restructuring, including splitting off brands that were part of big mergers.

Details are forthcoming, but the company has acknowledged that some longer exchanges with ChatGPT can become problematic.

Investors have been setting a higher bar for companies that want to go public since the IPO boom of 2021.

We're talking about companies here, obviously. A decade after Kraft Heinz became one of the world’s biggest food companies, it’s splitting into two.

From the BBC World Service: Two factories in England have been shut down as a result.

AI researchers are getting recruited like professional athletes. But stacking a team with expensive stars doesn’t always work out.

What does that say about our current economic situation? Plus: China, India, and Russia’s growing oil and gas alliance, Y2K nostalgia garb, and a homebuyer in New York City.

Topher Soltys and his husband bought a place in New York City earlier this year, and saw their monthly housing costs double.

From the CHIPS Act to the U.S. revoking a waiver it had granted TSMC to use U.S. machinery, the government is trying to have a heavy hand in this global industry.

Leaders of Russia, China and India met on Monday to show a unified front in light of U.S. trade policies

At Marketplace, we cover a lot of hard data. But soft data can be just as important.

The resurgence of Y2K fashion has been on trend for a while now: low rise jeans, wired headphones, bucket hats and so on. But plenty of brands are failing at capturing the favor of Gen Z consumers.

With fears of tariffs, government debt, and inflation raising longer-term interest rates, shorter-term borrowing can look more attractive.

An ESG whodunit.

People are turning to AI for therapy — raising concerns among mental health professionals. Illinois legislators have responded by banning therapists from using AI, other than for administrative tasks.

Illinois, Utah, and Nevada have passed laws to rein in the use of chatbots and other tools in mental health treatment. 

If you hit your federal student loan limit in the first year or two of a three-or four-year program, your only option will be private loans.

Some of the world’s biggest markets for U.S. crops aren’t buying as much as usual this year.

Just before the Labor Day weekend, a federal appeals court struck down many of the Trump administration's tariffs.

From the BBC World Service: Nestlé boss Laurent Freixe left after the company said he failed to disclose a romantic relationship with an employee.

Psychologist Elaine Kasket explains how AI could help or hurt as we grieve the loss of a loved one.

What we can gain from private data, and what it’s often missing. Plus: EV sales, regional Federal Reserves, and RV manufacturing.

Sui-Lee Wee, reporter at the New York Times, discusses her reporting on the RV industry’s reliance on lauan, a tropical wood in southeast Asia.

Matthew Wicker, owner of WickerWoodWorks in Portland, Oregon, shares news on a recent warehouse fire, and how he plans to build the business back.

Experiences vary by region, but many say they're trying to avoid passing on tariff costs to their consumers.

The tax credits lower the cost of an electric vehicle by thousands of dollars. The GOP tax and spending bill ends the credits on September 30.

Data collected by private companies can give us unique insight into the economy, but it’s not a substitute for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

What kids (and grownups) need to know about organic food prices.

Car dealerships always feel the fluctuations of inflation, gas prices, and interest rates. Now, tariffs are added to the mix.

The most recent jobs report showed mediocre job creation in July.

The “frugal traveler” is in vogue this summer as economic uncertainties continue to weigh on consumers.

“LegalEase” is utilizing AI in an effort to simplify record clearing — starting in Mississippi.

Today, we check in on summer travel, as budget-conscious vacationers adjust their travel plans.

From the BBC World Service: China’s President Xi Jinping has pledged $280 million to support its partners at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Linda Griffith, bioengineer and director of MIT's Center for Gynepathology Research, is working to grow human tissue on bits of plastic to better understand and treat systemic gynecological diseases, including endometriosis.