Marketplace

China’s GDP rose 4.9% in the third quarter, driven in large part by a resurgence of consumer spending. Today, we’ll dig into China’s post-coronavirus economy. Plus: how the pandemic is changing pharmacies, the lithium rush and rising housing insecurity.

According to our Marketplace-Edison Research Poll, more than a quarter of Americans have recently moved or are considering moving, citing flexibility to work from anywhere and the need to be closer to family. On today’s show, we’ll look at what that moving means for the economy and whether the effects will stick. Plus: the latest consumer spending numbers, the racial wealth gap and what stockpiling does to the supply chain.

According to our latest poll with Edison Research, nearly half of Americans would find that bill at least somewhat difficult to cover. Today, we’re going to dive into more of our polling data, on household responsibilities and trust in government economic data. Plus, changes to Medicare and the problem with “optimism bias.”

The unemployment benefit system is complicated, even more so after the CARES Act. But there’s an acronym you might be seeing more and more, if you’ve been watching weekly jobless numbers: PEUC, or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation. But what exactly is PEUC? We’ll explain. Plus, airline COVID testing and a deep dive into two important indicators: bank reserves and the Producer Price Index.

It has been nearly five years since China ended its one-child policy, but the number of births in the country last year was the lowest it’s been since 1961. On today’s show, we’ll look at why. Plus: Google without Chrome, voting rights lawsuits and Disney’s big restructuring.

Each year, it feels like Black Friday sales come earlier and earlier. And this year is no different — except it’s supply chain issues driving retailers to start their holiday sales before Halloween. We’ll talk about it. Plus: airline cash burn rates, pay adjustments for our new work-from-anywhere normal and one community battling a 30% unemployment rate.

Just when you thought the coronavirus relief bill negotiations couldn’t get any sillier, here we are. We’ll kick off today’s show talking about the state of play in Washington, D.C. Plus: IBM’s pivot to the cloud, Yelp’s attempts at fighting racism and why some businesses can’t seem to hire right now.

There are several companies racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine. But when one is ready, we’ll need a vast infrastructure of storage and labor to get it out. Today, we’ll look at the logistics of vaccination and what it will cost. Plus: workplace coronavirus testing, Zoom school substitutes and 5G. But first, how did the Biden campaign sell so many fly swatters so fast?

President Trump tried to restart negotiations for a piecemeal pandemic relief bill last night, after pulling the plug hours before. Still, all signs point to no additional aid before the election. On today’s show, we’ll look at what all this politicking costs individual Americans and the economy overall. Plus: holiday shopping in a pandemic, how your grocery stores work and why bad teeth can derail your career.

President Trump announced today that there’d be no additional coronavirus relief talks until after Election Day — he wants the Senate to focus on getting a new justice on the Supreme Court. Today, we’ll look at the needs of state and local governments and what Fed Chair Jerome Powell has to say about fiscal policy and recovery. Plus: the trade gap, campaign contributions and a hidden civil rights issue.

The uncertainty surrounding the health of the president and several members of Congress has implications for this COVID economy. Especially when it comes to the next round of stimulus and the future of the Paycheck Protection Program. Today, we’ll check in with some small businesses looking for clarity on PPP loan forgiveness. Plus: movie delays, college admissions and why the luxury watch business is booming right now.

The U.S. economy added a seasonally adjusted 661,000 jobs in September, and the unemployment rate dropped to 7.9%. That’s not bad news, but it’s not nearly as good as what we’ve seen in previous months. That means this is the hard part of coming back from the recession. We’ll talk about what that looks like. Plus: women leaving the labor force, H-1B visas and, oh yeah, Brexit. Remember that?

From coast to coast, unemployed workers and their families are facing an uncertain winter. On today’s show, what happens to a local economy when a major industry shuts down, and how furloughed workers are coping. Plus: the warehouse business, telehealth copays and the struggling bars in the pandemic.

During last night’s presidential debate, you might (might!) have heard moderator Chris Wallace mention the distinction between a “V-shaped” and “K-shaped” economic recovery. On today’s show, we’ll look at what both letters symbolize. Plus: Massive layoffs at Disney parks, learning pods and taking back the streets in Los Angeles.

Millions of students are in college, but not at college, this fall. They’re living and taking classes 100% remotely, but plenty more are on campus for all in-person classes or a hybrid model. Today we’ll check in on how they’re doing, and look at schools that are suspending admissions to doctoral programs for the next academic year. Plus: consumer spending, the flower business and Amtrak.