Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!

What does the decline in corporate profits say about the economy?

May 25, 2023
Profits fell for the second quarter in a row, partly due to Fed rate hikes. Whether it’s a good thing depends on your role in the economy.
Profits are falling, but the stock market is "not freaked out," says Bruce Sacerdote of Dartmouth.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Job openings fall in a possible sign of the elusive "soft landing"

Apr 4, 2023
Fewer job openings in normal times might be not great news, but right now, it is — cautiously speaking — a good sign. 
Workers moving into jobs in hotels and restaurants could be a sign that the economy is rebalancing.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Will there be a recession, and if so, when? It depends on which economist you ask.

Feb 27, 2023
The latest outlook from the National Association for Business Economics offers mixed forecasts.
Unsure about the future of the economy? You're not alone.
Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

What the phrase "soft landing" says about how we view the economy

Sep 19, 2022
The metaphor for the Federal Reserve's inflation-fighting goal is losing favor. Hard landings are more common, unfortunately.
In the '70s, Treasury chief George Shultz used the term "soft landing" to describe how a mild economic cooldown could fight inflation. Now, Fed Chair Jay Powell is facing a rocky landscape.
NASA/AFP via Getty Images

Central bankers' group sees a "narrow path" to rein in inflation and maintain growth

Jun 27, 2022
It's largely about preventing “inflationary psychology” from becoming entrenched, the Bank for International Settlements said.
The Bank for International Settlements warned that “inflationary psychology” could become entrenched and self-reinforcing. But the effort to douse inflation comes with risk of its own.
Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

Fed Chair Jerome Powell: "Whether we can execute a soft landing or not, it may actually depend on factors that we don't control."

May 12, 2022
"I think the one thing we really cannot do is to fail to restore price stability," Powell told Kai Ryssdal.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, left, speaks with Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
Nancy Farghalli/Marketplace

Can the Fed lower inflation without getting the economy into a recession?

"A look at the record shows that the Fed often stumbles in its efforts to save the day," says Ben White, chief economic correspondent at Politico.
Recessions have followed many of the Federal Reserve's past interest rate hikes.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.