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Janet Nguyen

Digital Reporter

SHORT BIO

Janet is a reporter with the Marketplace digital team.

Latest Stories (723)

Each federal layoff could lead to at least 1 other job loss in the private sector

Mar 21, 2025
Spending by federal workers stimulates local economies. Once they’re laid off, that could affect nearby businesses, like restaurants.
“It’s not pain that's going to be contained to the federal workforce,” said Emily Gee, senior vice president for Inclusive Growth at the Center for American Progress.
George Frey/Getty Images

Who selected the Lady Gaga song you’re hearing at the grocery store? 

Mar 14, 2025
Employees and marketing teams select songs from music providers, taking into account customer and employee feedback.
The right music can boost grocery sales, according to one Norwegian study.
Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

$19? We might be at peak strawberry

Mar 13, 2025
A single berry sells for $19 at a California store. Is it conspicuous consumption or a part of gift-giving culture?
We need to talk about the strawberry in the room.
@ellyamaikyoto via Instagram

What is the status of the Trump administration's tariffs?

Mar 12, 2025
It’s been a confusing ride. Here’s a time line of what is happening and what tariffs are currently in place.
All imported steel and aluminum faces a 25% tariff.
industryview/Getty Images Plus

How do researchers measure income inequality?

Mar 7, 2025
Common economic measurements, like GDP growth, tell us how fast the economic pie is growing. But they don’t tell us how the pie is getting distributed.
Income and wealth inequality has widened over the past several decades.
Nastco/Getty Images Plus

Why do fruit prices change so drastically from one week to the next?

Feb 28, 2025
Sometimes a fruit is simply no longer in season. Sometimes grocery stores have to deal with forces outside of their control.
Berry and grape prices can swing drastically over a short period of time.
elxeneize/Getty Images Plus

How generous return policies can end up costing customers

Feb 21, 2025
Customers returned $890 billion worth of goods last year, which is almost triple the amount they returned pre-pandemic.
Some retailers who once offered generous return policies are now clawing those back.
AnnaStills/Getty Images Plus

150-year-olds are not receiving Social Security payments 

Feb 20, 2025
No one has ever lived that long, but a misleading spreadsheet from Elon Musk purports to show they’re still in the safety net agency’s database.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images