Marketplace for Thursday, September 16, 2010

Segments From This Episode

• Will U.S. take action against China and the yuan?

  by Bob Moon

  The Obama Administration is putting out a lot of tough talk about China artificially undervaluing the yuan, but economists are wondering if anything will be done about it.

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• Obama taking time with new appointments

  by Marketplace Staff

  Kai talks to Barbara Rehm of American Banker on what's taking the administration so long to fill the positions created by the financial reform bill.

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• Job market picking up, but ‘too slowly’

  by Mitchell Hartman

  Unemployment claims at the state level dropped, perhaps indicating a small recovery. Another sign of the recovery? Increasing competition for top-level managerial positions, which may trickle down to lower-level jobs too.

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• What it takes to be a top global brand

  by Jeremy Hobson

  Marketplace's Jeremy Hobson talks to the CEO of Interbrand about why some companies made the cut in the company's annual ranking of the top 100 global brands, and which ones fell off.

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• Commodity prices spiking

  by Stacey Vanek Smith

  

  Cocoa beans to corn, commodity prices are on the rise. This is good news for investors who are looking for another place to put their money instead of the stock markets. But it's bad news for companies, particularly small businesses, who need to figure out how to balance costs and profits.

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• Gulf clean-up keeps locals employed

  by Eve Troeh

  It'll be a pretty expensive undertaking for oil companies to permanently plug thousands of unused wells in the Gulf, per request of the Interior Department, but at least it'll keep local employed.

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• Mexicans were the original frugalistas

  by Marketplace Staff

  It's trendy to be frugal now — canning your own jellies, altering your own clothes — but commentator Gustavo Arellano reminds listeners that Mexicans were being frugal long before the recession.

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• Brits divided on where budget should be cut

  The British government will unveil the details of its austerity cuts on Oct. 20. Brits agree that deep cuts are necessary, but they're divided on where the cuts should be made.

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