How the economy went "K-shaped"
Marketplace
American Public Media
4.6 • 8K Ratings
🗓️ 31 October 2025
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The U.S. economy is increasingly “K-shaped.” That means the gap between the wealthiest companies and consumers, and ... everyone else, is growing. Big Tech companies rake it in while smaller firms struggle. Similarly, the economy is increasingly dependent on the wealthiest consumers as everyone else pinches pennies. Economists warn these imbalances make the economy more fragile. Also in this episode: Farmers experiment with agrivoltaics, a Chicago tour guide showcases the city’s architectural history, and we recap the week's economic headlines.
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.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | My place in tech changes every day, but I don't fear the future, because I'm with the leader, Pluralsight. |
| 0:08.7 | Their online learning platform has the hands-on expert-led courses I need to master new tech skills and create bigger impacts. |
| 0:17.3 | So I can learn quickly and stay ahead. |
| 0:21.1 | With Pluralsight, I don't fear what's next. |
| 0:24.0 | I embrace it. |
| 0:25.6 | Tap in at Pluralsight.com and see for yourself. |
| 0:31.7 | Hey, what do you think Jay Powell is going to dress up as for Halloween? |
| 0:36.3 | From American Public Media. this is Marketflats. |
| 0:44.2 | I'm Kyle Rizzdall. |
| 0:49.5 | It is Friday, October the 31st. |
| 0:51.7 | Good as always to have you along, everybody. |
| 0:54.1 | There is a Halloween joke to make here about the state of this economy. spooky, scary, something like that. I, though, will control myself. And instead, as Courtney Brown, she's at Axios and Kather-M-Pel of MSNBC and the bulwark, what they think about what's going on. Hey, you two. |
| 1:12.1 | Hey, Kai. |
| 1:15.1 | Catherine Rempel, you get the first bite at the apple today. |
| 1:16.9 | And I want to start with Jay Powell. |
| 1:21.8 | What is your sense of what the Fed share had to say at his press conference on what was it, Wednesday? |
| 1:23.8 | I think the Fed was in a terrible situation to begin with, right? |
| 1:28.3 | They've had these tariffs fall in their lap and they complicate both sides of the Fed's dual mandate, which is stable prices and maximum employment. |
| 1:38.3 | Tariffs both raise prices and potentially drag on employment. |
| 1:42.3 | And now we have no data or at least much less available data to try to figure out which side |
| 1:51.3 | of that dual mandate is the one that they should be more worried about. |
| 1:54.9 | And I think you heard that in his tone, you know, that he's basically flying blind but |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from American Public Media, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of American Public Media and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.