Sticky inflation, Fed drama and the rise of 'cute' debt

Marketplace All-in-One

Marketplace

News, Business

4.8 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 29 August 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Core inflation rose to 2.9% in July, according to the latest PCE data — the Fed's preferred inflation gauge — marking its highest level in months. But despite stubborn inflation and falling consumer confidence, consumer spending continues to climb. Courtenay Brown at Axios and Jordyn Holman at The New York Times join "Marketplace" host Amy Scott to talk about the latest inflation numbers, and the court battle brewing between the White House and the Federal Reserve. Also in this episode: the economics of uncertainty, why job-hopping may no longer lead to bigger paychecks, and how "buy now, pay later" is being rebranded to target women.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	If you've shopped online, chances are you've bought from a business powered by Shopify.
0:05.6	You know that purple shop pay button you see at checkout?
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0:19.8	Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of
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0:32.8	Sign up for a one pound per month trial and start selling today at Shopify.co.com.uk slash Marketplace 22.
0:40.6	Go to Shopify.com.uk.uk slash Marketplace 22.
0:47.9	Sticky inflation, Fed drama, and the rise of cute debt.
0:53.9	It's all on the show today from American Public Media.
0:57.7	This is Marketplace.
1:08.0	In Denver, I'm Amy Scott in for Kai Rizdahl. It's Friday, August 29th. Good to have you with us.
1:15.0	Inflation is still with us. The personal consumption expenditures or PCE price index, that's the inflation measure the Fed pays more attention to.
1:24.2	It rose by two-tenths of a percent in July from the month before,
1:28.4	though the annual rate stayed flat at 2.6 percent. But core inflation minus food and energy
1:35.2	was higher than it's been in months, 2.9 percent. Joining me to talk about that and the rest
1:41.6	of the week's economic news are Courtney Brown at Axios and Jordan Holman at the New York Times.
1:47.3	Hello, you two.
1:49.2	Hey, Amy.
	...

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