Marketplace Special Coverage from "Marketplace": The Real Costs
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Aug 25, 2025 
Patrick Smith, a fourth-generation apple and hops farmer from Loftus Ranches, shares his firsthand experience with the impact of trade policies and climate conditions on agriculture. He discusses the pressing challenges such as labor regulations and fluctuating export markets that threaten the stability of farming in central Washington. Additionally, he highlights the broader implications of these agricultural issues, including supply chain unpredictability and the effects of wage increases in related sectors, painting a vivid picture of the real costs facing today’s economy.
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CPI Is A Front-Page Tool For Economists
- Economists like Nicole Survey rely on CPI as a daily touchstone and rapidly parse BLS tables to form expectations.
- She spends minutes on key tables and publishes institutional reports within an hour of release.
Rising Doubt Over Preliminary Employment Data
- Falling survey response rates and large payroll revisions erode trust in preliminary government data.
- Analysts then treat initial estimates cautiously and await revisions before acting.
High Line Leisure Validated By Time-Use Data
- The American Time Use Survey records daily activities and subjective wellbeing from thousands of respondents each month.
- It links how people spend time to meaningful economic insights like child care and leisure externalities.