The Inside Economics team welcomes Lisa Simon, Chief Economist at Revelio Labs, for an unusual jobs Friday podcast as the ongoing government shutdown prevented the release of the September employment report. Lisa details the new public labor statistics data that Revelio Labs began publishing recently in the wake of turmoil at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The team discusses how private data sources can help fill in the gaps left by the temporary absence of government data and also dissects the current state of the labor market.

Mastercard Chief Economist Michelle Meyer joins the Inside Economics team to debate the health of the American consumer and the economy’s prospects. The team pushes hard on Michelle’s sanguine perspective, but she holds her ground—and then some. Listen in if you want a preview of the strength of holiday sales and what will power that growth.

Heather Long, Chief Economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, joins the Inside Economics team to discuss what she dubbed the K-Shaped Economy. She describes the reasons why the well-to-do are thriving and the bottom 80% of the income distribution is struggling to make ends meet. The team discusses the origins of this skewing in the income distribution and why we should care about it.

The Inside Economics team gets together in person at All Hands Day. It is a short podcast, with more than the typical amount of chit-chat (as we are in person). But it is an action-packed conversation on the Fed’s rate decision (see if we got it right), our proposal to unlock the housing market, and, of course, the statistics game!

Mark and Cris are joined by Matt Colyar to break down the latest CPI inflation report, while Jared Franz from the Capital Group explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the American economy and labor market. We examine the opportunities and challenges of the AI revolution and what it means for workers, businesses, and investors in this rapidly changing economic landscape.

Dante joins the Inside Economics team to talk about the August employment report. After another set of weak numbers, Mark declares that the economy has entered a jobs recession. Cris and Marisa agree, but Dante would like to see more evidence. They also discuss how the lack of hiring is disproportionately impacting young workers. They wrap up by considering what it all means for the Fed, in light of a big jump in market expectations for more drastic rate cuts by the end of the year.

Mark, Cris, and Marisa talk about the increasingly shaky state of the economy after reviewing the week’s data. They preview next week’s jobs report and the likelihood of further downward revisions and negative payroll numbers. The trio then ponders some dark scenarios regarding Fed independence or lack thereof, and what that could mean for the growth and inflation outlooks.

From Fed Chair Powell’s confirmation of coming interest rate cuts to digital wallets, this episode dives deep into the evolving world of digital currencies with guest Ananya Kumar from the Atlantic Council. Whether you're managing your portfolio like co-host Crypto Cris or just trying to keep up with changing technologies, we’ve got you covered.

It was a week headlined by crucial inflation data. The Inside Economics crew is joined by colleague Matt Colyar to dig into July’s consumer price index. July’s CPI was unsurprising, but that doesn’t mean it was good. The group discusses why markets might have been too cheery about it and what they think inflation looks like in the coming months (see July’s producer price index). Finally, some loquacious responses to a handful of listener questions.

Former Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erica Groshen joins Mark, Cris, and Dante to cover a wide range of topics, including a somber discussion about the recent firing of the current BLS commissioner. Erica provides key insights into the role that BLS commissioners play in the day-to-day publication of economic data, as well as the longer-term challenges facing BLS and other federal statistical agencies. She also weighs in on the recent revisions to employment data that have garnered much attention and provides a thorough explanation of why revisions happen and the tradeoff between timeliness and accuracy.

The Inside Economics team turned lugubrious in this week’s episode. Given this week’s data dump showing that inflation is uncomfortably high and accelerating, and the job market and broader economy are struggling, it's hard not to be. They also consider what it all means for the Fed, which is in an increasingly difficult position, and prospects that the economy will fall off the narrow tight rope it is on, into recession.

The 2025 U.S. economy leaves no shortage of topics to explore. This week, the Inside Economics crew tries to touch them all. Mark and Cris, joined by Matt Colyar, discuss growing challenges to Fed independence, recent tariff agreements, financial market exuberance, and a U.S. housing market under significant stress. Finally, the team answers several listener questions and offers their latest recession probabilities and expectations for next week’s slew of important data.

Automotive economists Jonathan Smoke (Cox Automotive) and Michael Brisson (Moody's Analytics) join Mark and Cris to discuss industry conditions, tariff impacts on production and pricing, and their divergent views on auto credit's future. Inside Economics producer, Sara Rodriguez, makes a special guest appearance to settle the podcast's ongoing chit-chat debate.

Moody’s Analytics Mark Zandi and Cris deRitis are joined by Ira Goldstein from The Reinvestment Fund, Maggie McCullough from PolicyMap, and Jim Parrott from the Urban Institute to discuss their new study that takes a deep dive into understanding the nature of the decade-long housing shortfall. This housing crisis has driven up house prices and rents, and undermined housing affordability. But despite the heightened political attention on the problem, there remains confusion over its true scale and scope. This team of self-avowed housers dissect the shortage down to the census tract and come to some surprising conclusions.

Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee joins Mark and Cris to talk about the economy and monetary policy. He explains that the up and down tariffs and other economic policies have thrown lots of dirt in the air, so to speak, complicating things for the Fed and thus delaying the normalization of interest rates. He also weighs in on the policy response to the financial crisis and the economic repercussions of artificial intelligence. And tune in to hear why he wants to be 80% Paul Volker and 20% Muhammad Ali.

Dante joins the Inside Economics crew for an unusual jobs Thursday podcast. The team discusses the disconnect between the positive headlines and market reaction to the June employment report and the weakening undercurrent in the labor market. They also debate whether higher inflation is still looming despite not showing up in the data yet. Marisa steals the show in the stats game with three figures that stump Mark, Cris, and Dante.

Mark, Marisa, and colleague Adam Kamins are joined by Ivy Zelman to discuss the housing market outlook. Ivy sheds light on a wide variety of topics, including disappointing demand, the persistent drag from mortgage rate lock, and a lack of listings, adding up to a bearish outlook for prices and sales. The group also touches on regional differences, why builders are pulling back, and the effect of policy changes around tariffs and immigration. Along the way, Marisa and Adam learn the answers to a few existential questions, including “Why am I here?”

Colleagues Chris Lafakis and Steve Cochrane join Inside Economics to discuss how geopolitics is shaping the outlook and the risks to the U.S. and global economies. But first, the team reminisces about Steve’s 32 years as “employee 007” at the company and his upcoming retirement. Steve reveals his secrets for “managing up,” and Mark finds out he’s been managed all these years. The conversation then turns to U.S.-China relations and the risk of an oil price shock stemming from Israel’s attack on Iran last week.

Samim Ghamami, Senior Economist at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, joins Mark, Cris, and Marisa to explore the rapid rise of the private credit market. With global assets surpassing $2 trillion, Samim breaks down the systemic risks posed by this opaque yet fast-growing asset class. The discussion delves into private credit’s role in middle-market lending, private equity, and new markets like infrastructure and real estate, as well as its implications for financial stability and regulation.

The specter of stagflation is on the rise. While the higher tariffs have yet to translate into higher prices, the Inside Economics team and their colleague, inflation-maven Matt Colyar, argue they soon will. And weaker growth isn’t too far behind – the team’s recession probabilities are increasing again. Mass immigrant deportations, and Israel’s bombing of Iran and the resulting spike in oil prices, also point to higher inflation and weaker growth. Just how serious a threat stagflation poses depends on many factors, the least of which is whether the Fed is willing and able to stick to its inflation mandate.