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What inflation, retail sales and relief payments are telling us about the economic recovery
May 14, 2021

What inflation, retail sales and relief payments are telling us about the economic recovery

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Also on the show: How retail workers are navigating new mask guidance from the CDC, and why a northern Michigan retailer is banking on a summer with lots of foot traffic.

Segments From this episode

The Weekly Wrap

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal talks to Catherine Rampell of the Washington Post and Linette Lopez of Business Insider about a recent consumer sentiment slump, inflation and the state of the economic recovery.

Retail sales were flat in April, falling short of estimates

May 14, 2021
But considering what we're comparing them to — the stimulus-fueled month of March — that's not so bad.
In April, people spent less on things like clothing and furniture and more at bars and restaurants.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

New mask guidance means huge headaches for retail shops, workers

May 14, 2021
Individual businesses and local governments can still set their own rules for whether masks are required.
The new CDC guideline puts retailers in an "impossible situation," an expert said. Some shops with mask requirements say Thursday's statement is energizing customer protests.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Relief payments boosted Americans' bank balances. Here's how.

May 14, 2021
People with the lowest incomes spent theirs on necessities. The better-off spent on home improvements and vacations.
After the most recent round of relief, hunger in America fell.
Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

Will Biden’s plan for global tax reform hurt his beloved Ireland?

May 14, 2021
President Biden's proposal for a minimum global corporate tax rate is causing consternation in his ancestral home.
Irish enthusiasm for “the boy from Ballina" may soon begin to wane.
Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images

This northern Michigan retailer is banking on a summer with lots of foot traffic

May 14, 2021
Annie Lang Hartman, owner of Compass Paper Co., is preparing for a busy post-pandemic season.
Annie Lang Hartman's Compass Paper Co. shop. She says tourists have already come to the area, even though it's still early in the season.
Courtesy Annie Lang Hartman

Music from the episode

Shaka Bundu Penny Penny
Redbone Childish Gambino
Circles Post Malone
Low Season Poolside
Last Raindrop Fitz and The Tantrums

The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer
Maria Hollenhorst Producer II
Sean McHenry Director & Associate Producer II