Marketplace Navigating long-term unemployment
Apr 10, 2026
Kaylee Wells, a Marketplace reporter covering Ohio composting and local waste entrepreneurs. Blake Farmer, WPLN reporter profiling long-term job seekers. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post journalist on inflation and housing costs. Sadiq Reddy, business and economics analyst on inflation and energy. They discuss rising long-term unemployment, sticky shelter inflation, energy-driven market pressures, and community composting efforts.
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Energy Shock Pushed Inflation Higher
- Inflation surged to a near two-year high in March, largely driven by rising energy and gasoline prices.
- Sadiq Reddy and Rachel Siegel highlighted oil supply shocks and the Strait of Hormuz closure as key drivers that could make the increase more than a temporary blip.
Shelter Inflation Is Sticky And Lags Market Moves
- Shelter (rent and owner-equivalent rent) makes up about a third of CPI and has been sticky around a 3% annual rise.
- Experts say CPI's shelter component lags market rents because many units are on yearlong leases and homeowner expectations adjust slowly.
Small Shop Faces Big Supplier Price Hikes
- Ashley Morkin, owner of Unglued in Fargo, saw suppliers raise prices 10–100% and shifted to new vendors and in-house products.
- She plans to produce a few own-brand items to control costs and preserve price points for customers.