Mar 29, 2023

A bumpy ride for mortgage rates means bumpy home sales

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Could an uptick in pending home sales signal a thawing housing market? Plus, small business is doing well, but owners' confidence is down.

Segments From this episode

Homebuyers keep looking for a dip in mortgage rates

by Sabri Ben-Achour

Mar 29, 2023

A February rise in pending home sales likely reflects a short dip in rates earlier.

An uptick in a pending home sales in February follows lower mortgage rates from a month or two earlier.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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Small-business owners' confidence is down, even though most say business is good

by Samantha Fields

Mar 29, 2023

The latest small business index is an example of the disconnect between people’s experience of the economy and their perceptions of it.

Business owners generally are not feeling optimistic about the economy. Many are putting off buying new equipment or renovating storefronts due to inflation.

andresr/Getty Images

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State funding for homeschooling is on the rise. Not everyone wants it.

by Stephanie Hughes

Mar 29, 2023

At least 12 states now have laws allowing families to use public funds for homeschooling expenses.

Anna Fulbright (right) instructs her daughter, 10-year-old Natalie Fulbright, on how to make a geographical landscape with Play-Doh.

Stephanie Hughes / Marketplace

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USDA proposes rules to expand access to free school lunches

by Savannah Maher

Mar 29, 2023

The agency wants to help more school districts cover the costs of universal free meals.

Universal free meals kept a lot of kids from going hungry at the height of the pandemic, said the Urban Institute's Emily Gutierrez.

Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images

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How low unemployment lifts workers at the bottom

by Amy Scott and Sarah Leeson

Mar 29, 2023

In "Moving the Needle: What Tight Labor Markets Do for the Poor," authors Newman and Jacobs advocate letting tight labor markets stay that way.

"When unemployment goes below about 4.5%, folks who've been out of work find work and keep work," said author Elisabeth Jacobs.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

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The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer

Maria Hollenhorst Producer II

Andie Corban Producer I

Sarah Leeson Producer I

Sean McHenry Director & Associate Producer II

Richard Cunningham Associate Producer I

Dylan Miettinen Associate Digital Producer

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