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Kristin Schwab

Reporter

SHORT BIO

Kristin Schwab is a reporter at Marketplace focusing on the consumer economy. She's based in Brooklyn, New York.

Before Marketplace, Kristin produced narrative and news podcasts for The New York Times, New York Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. She teaches audio journalism at her alma mater, Columbia Journalism School.

Kristin also has a BFA in dance from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. After performing with ballet and modern companies, she got her start in journalism as an editor at Dance Magazine. Kristin grew up in Minnesota and has been a bit reporting obsessed since watching the '90s PBS show "Ghostwriter" as a kid. Yes, she had one of those necklace pens and a marbled composition notebook.

Episodes by Kristin (11)

Marketplace

Rents outpace wages in big cities across the U.S.

May 8, 2024
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Marketplace

Steel tariffs déjà vu 

Apr 17, 2024
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Marketplace

“This is the time to be a saver”

Apr 2, 2024
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Marketplace

Ultimately, the joke's on Gmail rivals

Apr 1, 2024
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Marketplace

Can we break out of the mortgage lock-in effect?

Feb 19, 2024
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Marketplace

Shoppers love easy returns. But retailers aren't sold on 'em.

Nov 24, 2023
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Marketplace Minute

Wall Street rallies on inflation

Nov 14, 2023
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Marketplace

A closer look at unemployment and wealth gap data

Oct 19, 2023
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Marketplace

How water moves — or stalls — the economy

Oct 18, 2023
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Marketplace Minute

Oil prices are in flux

Sep 6, 2023
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Latest Stories (508)

The economy is acting weird. Not even economists can fully say why.

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 30, 2022
There are many contradictory economic trends these days, and history isn't providing its usual hints about what will happen next.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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Despite the shaky economy, jobless claims are down. Here's why.

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 29, 2022
It's taken companies so long to replace workers lost during the pandemic that many firms are reluctant to lay them off.
Economists and central bankers abound are watching today's jobs report to get a gauge on inflation.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
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Companies plan to hire fewer seasonal workers this year

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 22, 2022
Retailers are worried that inflation and fear of a potential recession will impact holiday spending.
Walmart said it plans to hire 40,000 seasonal workers for the holidays this year. It brought on 150,000 in 2021.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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What corporate layoffs tell us about the economy

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 21, 2022
Gap is the latest company to announce layoffs. Downsizing among employers reflects shifting consumer habits.
Clothing retailer Gap plans to cut roughly 500 corporate jobs, following other large companies like HBO Max and Peloton.
Allison Dinner/Getty Images
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Retailers vexed by rising "shrink"

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 19, 2022
The National Retail Federation says theft, fraud and poor inventory management led to $95 billion in losses last year.
Cabinets built to shield against theft in a Walgreens store. Several large retailers have closed outlets or reduced hours to combat the problem.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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If gas prices are falling, why aren't things cheaper?

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 14, 2022
Gas influences how a lot of things cost – but there are other factors behind rising prices.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Possible train strike could derail supply chain even more

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 12, 2022
A nationwide rail shutdown could cost $2 billion a day, the Association of American Railroads said.
Around half of the goods we import and export touch U.S. railways.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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How is the restaurant industry faring these days?

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 9, 2022
More people are going out to eat, but some are frustrated with the rising cost. Yet the cost crunch is just as bad, or worse, for restaurant owners.
Even though restaurants' costs are rising, owners may not raise menu prices as much to avoid scaring customers away.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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Target's the latest company to ditch mandatory retirement for CEOs

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 7, 2022
With people living and working longer, many companies see the rules as outdated.
Brian Cornell, shown here in 2017, can stay on as Target CEO after turning 65.
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
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Inflation piles on back-to-school shopping season

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 6, 2022
Families are generally planning to spend almost $20 more per child on school supplies.
Backpacks and notebooks are expected to be the hotter back-to-school items than tech tools this shopping season.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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