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Employers pay up for health care too
Jan 31, 2025

Employers pay up for health care too

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Employers spent a lot on employee health insurance last year — benefit costs outpaced inflation by 4 to 5%. Plus, a zero-carbon port and incarcerated firefighters.

Segments From this episode

The Weekly Wrap

Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal speaks to Courtenay Brown at Axios and Kate Davidson at Bloomberg about economic uncertainty, the latest GDP headline numbers, inflation and more.

Employee benefit costs notch healthy gains, led by health care

Jan 31, 2025
Both benefits and wages outpaced inflation in 2024, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Prescription drugs contributed to the rise in costs for employer benefit plans.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

How ports are working to reduce — or even eliminate — carbon emissions

Jan 31, 2025
The transportation sector accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. One port is trying to eliminate emissions entirely within the coming decade.
The Port of Hueneme plans to reach zero carbon emissions by the end of the decade.
Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

For California's formerly incarcerated firefighters, finding a full-time job requires time and money

Jan 31, 2025
But two of them have started nonprofits to help others navigate the process.
The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program works with incarcerated people working in California's fire camps to get trained and employed in firefighting after they're released.
Courtesy Blue Chalk Media

Claw game shop owner opens second location within a year of her first

“It wasn’t as smooth sailing as I had hoped, but it still turned out really well,” said Le-An Than, co-owner of Crane Games in Aurora and now Thorton, Colorado.

Music from the episode

Satellite STRFKR
Fourty Days Billy Brooks
Cruise Astronautica
Golden Milky Chance

The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer
Maria Hollenhorst Producer II
Andie Corban Producer I
Sarah Leeson Producer I
Sean McHenry Director & Associate Producer II
Sofia Terenzio Associate Producer I
Jordan Mangi Assistant Digital Producer
Nicholas Guiang Assistant Producer