Justin Ho

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SHORT BIO

Justin is a reporter for Marketplace. He’s based in San Diego, California.

Justin focuses on small business, banking and supply chain news. He also hosts the Closing Bell edition of the “Marketplace Minute,” a daily news roundup, and has worked as the show producer of the “Marketplace Morning Report.” He started working at Marketplace in 2011.

Justin spends a lot of his downtime mountain biking, surf fishing and grappling with decision paralysis over which bike parts and fishing gear to buy next.

Episodes by Justin (157)

Marketplace Minute

Job gains slow down in April

May 3, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Productivity increases at slower pace

May 2, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Federal Reserve keeps interest rates unchanged

May 1, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Pay increases speed up in the first quarter

Apr 30, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

FCC fines wireless carriers over location sharing

Apr 29, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Inflation picks up in March

Apr 26, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Economy slows while inflation persists

Apr 25, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Boeing revenue falls

Apr 24, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

FTC bans noncompete clauses

Apr 23, 2024

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Marketplace Minute

Business leaders say profit margins rise

Apr 22, 2024

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Latest Stories (698)

Small businesses see wage pressure easing

by Justin Ho

May 1, 2024

While the labor market is still tight, some owners aren’t feeling like they need to hike pay as much as they did earlier in the pandemic.

According to the Labor Department, wage gains have been slowing for the past two years.

Kameleon007/Getty Images

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Could the Fed cut interest rates based on this week's economic data?

by Justin Ho

Apr 29, 2024

The Federal Reserve will be watching jobs and unemployment numbers, as well as a manufacturing index and other private sector reports.

Keeping price increases low and steady and maximizing employment is the Federal Reserve's dual mandate.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

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Economists used the business cycle to predict what's next. It doesn't work so well anymore.

by Justin Ho

Apr 23, 2024

Where's the recession? Changes like the pandemic crash and government funding programs have disrupted the expansion-contraction pattern.

Daenin Arnee via Getty Images

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Profits are up, according to a business survey. This time, it probably isn't due to "greedflation."

by Justin Ho

Apr 22, 2024

Companies don't have the pricing power they had in the pandemic recovery. Now it's more like the before times.

A survey from the National Association for Business Economics found that profits hit their highest level since October 2021.

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Corporate dealmaking has picked up. That's good news for bankers — and the economy.

by Justin Ho

Apr 15, 2024

After a couple of years of uncertainty, there's pent-up demand for mergers, stock and bond sales and other complex transactions.

Goldman Sachs reported that investment-banking revenue increased 32% last quarter from the same time in 2023.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

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The cost of imports from Asia and North America are moving in opposite directions

by Justin Ho

Apr 12, 2024

The things we buy from China and Japan became cheaper in March, while prices rose on automotive goods and energy from Mexico and Canada.

Each category of goods that the U.S. buys from Mexico, Canada, China and Japan has its own price trend, as does each country's currency.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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Efforts to boost manufacturing and clean energy run up against a shortage of welders

by Justin Ho

Apr 5, 2024

Welders are needed to build and upgrade roads and bridges, energy infrastructure and chip foundries. But the profession has an image problem.

There’s a perception that welding is a dirty, dangerous and dead-end career. Employers are trying to change that.

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Small businesses have Now Hiring signs up — whether they need workers or not

by Justin Ho

Apr 2, 2024

So government stats on job openings may not be telling us much.

Frankesha Watkins, who owns a beauty supply store, said she always keeps a job listing posted because high turnover among her staff creates frequent openings.

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Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Big cargo ships are more efficient. And more risky.

by Justin Ho

Mar 27, 2024

Cargo ships have grown since the Francis Scott Key Bridge was built. Collisions have greater impact, physically and economically.

The scene of the shipping accident in Baltimore. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked billions of dollars for port upgrades made necessary by the scaling up of cargo ships.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

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Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Supply chains already feel the pinch as collapsed bridge blocks Baltimore's port

by Justin Ho

Mar 26, 2024

And there's no telling how long it'll take to reopen the port. Other East Coast ports will have to handle some of the shipping traffic.

The cargo ship Dali reported losing power before it struck a column on the Francis Scott Key bridge.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

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