Marketplace Morning Report

The Federal Open Market Committee decided to hold interest rates steady yesterday. The central bank has a dual mandate from Congress to manage inflation while maximizing employment. Today, we'll dig into some warning signs in the current long-term unemployment figures, as well as the "low-hire, low-fire" environment. Then we'll learn why the Bureau of Economic Analysis is updating its inflation calculation and why it matters for everyday consumers.

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Marketplace Morning Report 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.

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Why the government is updating how it calculates inflation

You may have heard that a diamond is forever. Turns out, a diamond's value is not. Overall, global rough diamond prices are down 20% year over year and 40% from a decade ago. That's just for natural diamonds — not the increasingly popular lab-grown diamond category. And legendary diamond mining company De Beers announced it's suspending diamond production at its largest mine. We'll unpack. But first: why Fed officials are so confident about hitting their inflationary target.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories featured in this episode:

What's behind the diamond downturn?

Today, the key stock index in South Korea — the Kospi — was down almost 6% at close. That’s after dropping 10% yesterday. We’re starting to see somewhat of a change in investor emotion for tech stock, prompted by questions over big tech companies spending on AI. What else is driving the sell-off, and what does it mean for the broader market? Plus, we look at how AI is shaping the job market for younger job seekers.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

The U.S. Federal Reserve will wrap up a two-day meeting today with an announcement from Chair Kevin Warsh on interest rates. In the middle of uncertainty regarding the war in the Middle East, oil prices, and inflation, experts say rates could remain unchanged — for now. Also, we look at how consumers are pulling back on grocery spending and why the Trump administration is arguing some countries have “excess capacity” in certain manufacturing sectors.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

The number of Americans 65 and older is expected to nearly double by 2060 — reaching 95 million people. You may have heard about the massive wealth transfer slated to come from Baby Boomers to younger generations, but new reporting finds that the high cost of elder care is wiping out the money some older adults had hoped to leave to their heirs. Also, we'll parse some of the economic data the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee is considering as it convenes today and tomorrow.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories featured in this episode:

The "Great Wealth Transfer" may be smaller than expected