Marketplace

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is issuing $6.7 billion worth of bonds in Europe. That’s about €6 billion. Meta is reportedly considering a similar move. In this episode, we explain the pros and cons of Big Tech selling debt on the European market. Plus: AI agents transform the travel industry, Kai tours a satellite factory in Southern California, and the low-fire, low-hire, weak-wage-growth trifecta persists ahead of the October jobs report.

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Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

Jobs data has see-sawed lately. What can we expect for October?
What role will AI play in travel and hospitality?
Is bigger better? Why these brothers are trying to build satellites at scale
Why Alphabet and other big tech firms are raising money in euros
In San Francisco, real estate has reached eye-popping prices

Big Tech firms saw major stock market slides this week. Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Intel all dropped, following less-than-stellar earnings reports. Cracks are showing in the tech biz, and they aren’t all related to AI. Is this the beginning of an AI bubble burst? We’ll explain. Plus: How companies decide whether to offer buyouts or do traditional layoffs, what it’s like to go back to school in your 40s, and where new affordable EVs are available (hint: outside the U.S.)

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

Don't let this economy give you a fright
Inside Big Tech companies' big slump this week
She loved bartending. Then she decided to head back to school
Why companies offer buyouts versus layoffs
To test drive affordable EVs, he took a trip to CDMX

Fresh data showed the economy grew faster than expected, at a 3.4% annual rate in the third quarter. Prices grew too, by 3.6%. Robust consumer spending tends to drive GDP, but the consumer savings rate — an important financial cushion — is falling. In this episode, when will strong topline economic figures catch up to a precarious consumer reality? Plus: Alphabet stock slides after a disappointing earnings report, apple orchards reap the devastating effects of unusual spring weather, and jobless stats misalign with labor market perceptions.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

The economy grew 3.4% this summer, but consumers got there by saving less
Unemployment numbers are near a 57-year low. Why doesn't it feel like it?
Here's why Alphabet stock plummeted today
China, the world's second largest economy, considers itself "developing." Why?
Apple-picking looks different this season after “devastating year" for orchards

Fed governors met this week and voted to keep interest rates steady at just below 4%. The central bank says it’s taking a “wait and see” approach to elevated inflation. But what does that mean for banks and businesses that want to borrow money? In this episode, economic forces make for a fraught lending environment. Plus: We take a trip to Costco to understand how toilet paper is an economic indicator, and spend the day out west with a Wyoming cattle brand inspector.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

As interest rates rise, lending gets more fraught for businesses and banks
A day in the life of a Wyoming cattle brand inspector
How student loans have shaped this family’s economy
What toilet paper sales tell us about consumer spending
Copper wire stripping is making people money on TikTok

The housing market is a bit chilly right now — new home sales are down, and so are prices. But current homeowners watched their property values grow over the past several years. So when it comes to selling, they’ve got (as Olivia Rodrigo might say) real big expectations. In this episode, the disconnect between need-to-sell homeowners and price-sensitive buyers. Plus: Consumer confidence continues its bumpy journey, durable goods orders are picking up, and we visit Brownsville, Texas, where SpaceX launches are taking over the skies.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

Durable goods orders have been picking up. And it’s not just AI.
Selling your home? You may need to adjust expectations
Consumer confidence ticked up in October. Is it just a blip?
In South Texas, rocket launches are part of a bigger economic shift
Capitalism and democracy go hand in hand, according to new index
For this candy store, it's all about the customers