Business Daily

Spain's economy is growing fast. So why is youth unemployment still so high? 01.06.2026 18min

Many graduates are reluctant to work in the country’s large tourism and service sectors, looking instead for roles that match their university skills. That can make finding a first job after graduating a real challenge.Presenter/producer: Ashish SharmaIf you’d like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Spanish Secretary of State for Labour Joaquin Perez Rey speaking about how unemployment in April 2026 fell below 2.4 million people for the first time since June 2008. Credit: JAVIER LIZON/EPA/Shutterstock)

Are content creators invading public spaces? 31.05.2026 17min

From cafes and gyms to supermarkets and restaurants, content creators are moving into everyday spaces, searching for attractive backdrops for their photos and videos. But as the influencer economy grows, their presence is dividing companies, customers and creators. Megan Lawton speaks to business owners, influencers and digital culture experts about what the rules should be.Presenter: Megan Lawton Producer: Sam Gruet(Photo: Tony Marks, owner of the Starfish and Coffee cafe in Brighton in the UK; Credit: Megan Lawton)

The woman trying to fix Nigeria's medicine gap 28.05.2026 17min

Nigeria pharmacist Abimbola Adebakin tells us how a failed start-up and the struggle to access essential medicines inspired her to build Advantage Health Africa, a company connecting pharmacies and helping deliver medicines across Nigeria.Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer Amber Mehmood(Photo: Abimbola Adebakin. Credit: Studio 24)

Prediction markets: are they fuelling insider trading? 27.05.2026 17min

This week, Michelle, Rahul and Will explore prediction markets — online platforms where people can bet on future events, from elections to pop culture and even world conflicts.Concerns about insider trading are on the rise and platforms are being banned in an increasing number of countries. So as talk of regulation increases, we try to predict the future of the prediction market.Presenters: Michelle Fleury, Rahul Tandon and Will BainProducer: Rebecca Smyllie(Photo: Getty/Yuichiro Chino)

The Iran war oil shock: Is there worse to come? 26.05.2026 17min

When the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz's closure disrupted global oil supply, some experts predicted crude oil prices as high as $150, or even $200 per barrel. That hasn't happened. Why not? And is it because the way the global oil markets work mean the pain for households and businesses is still to come?Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Josh Martin(Photo: Getty/matejmo)

Biohacking: Where fad meets finance? 25.05.2026 17min

Biohackers say they are making their bodies and brains run better by hacking their biology. And it is not just kitchen counter experimentation anymore. There is now an entire industry promising to optimise you with supplements, treatments and increasingly strange gadgets. Are these expensive, unproven “hacks” worth the investment? To get in touch with the team, send an email to businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Michelle Fleury Producer: Nathalie Jimenez(Photo: North America Business correspondent Michelle Fleury and Midtown Biohack owner Chuck Morris, standing over a client trying out a red light therapy headset)

Can the global economy go plastic free? 24.05.2026 17min

It is an invaluable material that has enabled global trade and modern medicine, but experts say our reliance on plastic has created a problem the planet is struggling to manage. With plastic waste threatening landscapes and our health, we meet innovators from the UK, Ecuador and India who are trying to get the global economy off its reliance on plastic.Presenter: Sam Gruet Producer: Megan LawtonYou can email us on businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: A view of the sewage line covered with plastic waste and other litter in Mumbai, India, 22 April 2026. Credit: Photo by DIVYAKANT SOLANKI/EPA/Shutterstock)

The ex-ballerina betting big on prediction markets 21.05.2026 17min

On Meet the Founders, we meet Luana Lopes Lara, creator of Kalshi, a prediction markets startup that allows users to trade on the outcome of real-world events - from inflation and interest rates to elections and geopolitics.Kalshi drew attention for showing Zohran Mamdani as a favourite in the NYC mayoral race, as prediction markets gain traction as political barometers. But the wider industry has also faced scrutiny: a trader on rival platform Polymarket reportedly made nearly half a million dollars betting on the capture of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro before it was announced. The controversy around prediction markets has placed Lopes Lara and her company at the centre of a growing regulatory and ethical debate in the US. In this episode, the Brazilian founder explains how the discipline and resilience of ballet has shaped her approach to building a business, and why she believes markets can often forecast the future better than experts.(First broadcast/podcast on 06 February 2026)If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Amber Mehmood Sound mix: Toby James(Picture: Luana Lara Lopes, founder and Chief Operating Officer of Kalshi.)

Musk v Altman: Tech bros battle 20.05.2026 17min

A California jury tossed out Elon Musk's high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI and its boss Sam Altman. But who actually wins and what does this public row mean for the reputation of their companies? Michelle Fleury and Rahul Tandon are joined by the BBC's Lily Jamali, who spent weeks in court following the twists and turns in a battle of the tech titans.Producer: Gideon LongYou can email us: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Photo: A combination photo shows OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (L) and Tesla CEO Elon Musk (R) during a trial at a federal courthouse in Oakland, California, US. Credit: Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters)

Trump v The US Federal Reserve 19.05.2026 19min

How will President Trump get on with Kevin Warsh, who is starting out as the Chair of the Federal Reserve, America's Central Bank? Trump famously clashed with his predecessor Jerome Powell. Can the US central bank remain truly independent from the government?Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Josh Martin(Photo: Kevin Warsh testifies during a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, 21 April 2026. Credit: Will Oliver/EPA/Shutterstock)

Video Game Console Wars 18.05.2026 17min

In the 1990s, the video game industry was locked in competition between gaming giants Sega and Nintendo, battling for dominance in living rooms around the world as they raced to deliver the best games on their consoles while attacking one another in advertising. This rivalry reshaped the landscape of gaming, helping it grow into the world’s biggest entertainment industry today. We hear from Sega America CEO Tom Kalinske, who took on Nintendo by targeting a more mature audience, focusing on lower prices. Central to that plan was the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, a character designed to challenge Mario as the face of gaming. We also travel to the heart of Madrid, to the OXO video game museum to explore the legacy of the console wars and how they helped the industry level up.Presenter/producer: Sean AllsopIf you’d like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

How do we live with data centres? 17.05.2026 19min

Data centres are becoming and ever bigger part of our daily lives and our landscapes – great big warehouses, packed with computers, that power pretty much every digital thing we do, from using AI chatbots or filing our tax returns. They’ve popped up around the world in recent years and – whether we like it or not - more are coming. But people don’t necessarily want to live next to these places. They’re often big, faceless facilities, built close to the towns and cities they serve, and there’s a perception that they’re pushing up electricity costs and consuming precious water. So as the AI revolution rolls on, fuelling the need for ever greater digital storage capacity, how do we learn to live with data centres? Presenter/producer: Gideon Long If you’d like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Aerial view of a large Google Data Centre in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, UK on 30th November 2025. Credit: Richard Newstead/Getty Images)

The banker who loaned to women when no one else would 14.05.2026 17min

Jennifer Riria grew up in a rural village in Kenya, juggled motherhood and university studies in her late teens, and ended up running one of the biggest microfinance institutions for women in Africa, which allows women to access loans for their businesses. The entrepreneur pioneered giving small loans to women at a time when they were not allowed to get finance. We hear about her story in life and in business. If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Leanna Byrne Producers: Ahmed Adan and Amber Mehmood Sound mix: Toby JamesBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.Each episode is a 17-minute deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders - like Jennifer Riria - and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.(Picture: Jennifer Riria.)

The US-China economic relationship 13.05.2026 17min

As US President Donald Trump travels to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, we look at the tensions and the relationship between the world's two biggest economies. Presenter: Will Bain, Michelle Fleury and Rahul Tandon Producer: Gideon Long(Photo: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, 30 October, 2025. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

How US funding cuts are reshaping aid in Africa 12.05.2026 23min

How has the development and aid sector in Africa adapted in the 15 months since the Trump administration started closing USAID? Have predictions of mortalities come to pass, and how can the funding gaps be filled? We hear from the people who used to be in charge of multi-billion-dollar budgets, as well as those receiving funds on the front lines of the HIV crisis in Tanzania.Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Josh Martin(Picture: 29-year-old Rashida Musa tends to her sick child who was sent home from the hospital due to malnutrition following the aid cut by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Tudun Gambo, Bauchi State, Nigeria, May 8, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Sodiq Adelakun)

How lucrative licences are shaping the toy industry 11.05.2026 17min

We look at the multi-billion-dollar toy industry. We ask why backing the right movie, YouTube show, or social media trend can affect your bottom line. And we hear about the challenges making products based on surprise hits, and how the humble puzzle could be the in-toy for 2026.If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter/producer: Elizabeth Hotson(Picture: Figures from the "KPop Demon Hunters" toy series are on display at Mattel's booth at the New York Toy Fair in New York City, U.S., February 17, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/ Jeenah Moon)

Is Chile becoming Argentina's shopping centre? 10.05.2026 17min

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Argentines cross the Andes looking for bargains. With a favourable exchange rate, it can be considerably cheaper to buy well-known clothes and electronics brands in Chile. President Javier Milei's economic reforms have helped ease inflation so some people in Argentina have more money to spend. Jane Chambers has been to meet bargain hunters from Argentina and the retailers looking for their business.(Photo: Argentine President Javier Milei reacts in the Chamber of Deputies during Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni's annual report in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 29 April 2026. Credit: Matias Martin Campaya/EPA/Shutterstock)

The baker’s daughter bringing mochi to the mainstream 07.05.2026 17min

We meet the creator of a dessert business whose story starts in her parents’ bakery. Vivien Wong tells us how she faced a family loss and eventually channelled that experience into building a company making mochi with a twist: taking a traditional Japanese rice cake and wrapping it around balls of ice cream. She shares how she turned a niche treat into a global brand, Little Moons.If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Rahul Tandon Producers: Niamh McDermott, Victoriya Holland and Jay Behrouzi(Picture: Vivien Wong. Credit: Jack Ladenburg)

Why female led startups stall in Sub-Saharan Africa 06.05.2026 17min

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of entrepreneurship in the world, according to the World Bank, and most founders there are women. Why, then, do so many of those startups fail to grow? We look at why many female entrepreneurs struggle to access investment and ask three business leaders what might change that.If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Will Bain Producer: Ahmed Adan(Picture: Worker and partner with data analytics, charts and graphs paperwork. Credit: Getty Images)

Hired or hidden? AI’s new power in the job market 05.05.2026 17min

Artificial Intelligence has upended the market for entry-level jobs, but could AI be blocking graduates from getting a foot on the jobs ladder altogether? In this episode, we look at the new AI arms race in recruitment. Tech advancements have allowed graduates to apply for more jobs than ever, and hiring managers can let AI do the initial shortlisting and interviews, so why do both sides of the employment equation feel short-changed? And what can graduates do to stand out in a crowded market of thousands of applicants when an AI app is making the decision? We discuss the pros and cons of the AI hiring pipeline.If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Ed Butler Producer: Josh Martin(Picture: Young woman sitting at a kitchen table looking at a laptop screen searching for job. Credit: Getty Images)