The Indicator from Planet Money
Episodes
What really goes on at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Update)
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Friday, we reported on the latest jobs numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which showed weaker than expected growth. On Friday afternoon, ...
How you're using AI at work
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI is a hot topic for both employers and employees in the workforce. That's why we wanted to hear from our listeners about how they are using AI at wo...
Why the Fed could lose $1.5 trillion
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Fed is on the hook for an estimated one-and-a-half trillion dollars. Despite the recent headlines, that's not because of building renovations. It'...
The risk of private equity in your 401(k)
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Private equity is a risky business. There are high-highs and low-lows. A retirement plan, on the other hand, is meant to be a reliable beast. But Pres...
The hottest multilateral club doesn't include the US
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
BRICS is an economic alliance of countries that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and several other nations. They met earlier this m...
A baby bonds bonanza
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Baby bond fever is catching on. In recent years, states like Connecticut have been experimenting with giving newborns government-seeded accounts that ...
Nigeria notches new highs, Magic gathers millions, and crypto climbs
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today's episode: Nigeria gets a GD...
How to beach on a budget
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's the Beigie Awards, our eight times a year salute to the art and science of telling stories about the economy. The most recent Beige Book shows th...
When Uncle Sam owned banks and factories
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The quintessential American economic myth is that the free market picks winners and losers. But the federal government has long had a role in this equ...
Lunch with the man who coined TACO
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Despite presidential saber rattling and huge tariff threats, the U.S. stock market keeps reaching record highs. Why?Today we sit down with the man who...
Your tinned fish obsession is helping resurrect a lost industry
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Once upon a time, the states had a thriving tinned fish market. Like a lot of U.S. manufacturing though, that's been lost. But sardines are having a m...
Bonus episode: The Indicator plays... movie business trivia!
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To cap off our weeklong series on all things Hollywood, we're going to have a little fun! Tune in to hear Adrian, Darian and Wailin battle it out as t...
Congress has voted to eliminate government funding for public media
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Act now to ensure public media remains free and accessible to all. Your donation will help this essential American service survive and thrive. Visit d...
Are you not entertained ... by our movie-related indicators?
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The movies come to Indicators of the Week. We dig into why one film is letting you reserve tickets a whole year in advance, what ticket prices might t...
When is cosplay a crime?
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cosplay—or dressing up as your favorite character from pop culture—is fun! But it can fall into a legal gray area when it comes to companies' inte...
The story of China and Hollywood's big-screen romance
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No country can come close to the amount of money Americans spend at the box office each year ... that is, until China came along. The US and Chinese f...
Why aren't filmmakers shooting in LA?
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Despite being, ya know, Hollywood, more and more movies and TV shows are shooting outside of Tinseltown. Dozens of U.S. states and many countries offe...
Before La La Land, there was Fort Lee, New Jersey
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hollywood, baby! The glitz! The glamour! The ever-changing business models! This week, The Indicator is going to the movies. Starting today with the ...
Red tape indicators: sports betting, R&D and click-to-cancel
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are back with Indicators of the Week! Today, we'll be digging into why U.S. professional gamblers are worried about their future, why businesses mi...
Could Meta do more to protect us from cyber scams?
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many small businesses are online now, but so are cyber criminals trying to take advantage. On today's show, how one bar owner fell victim to a Faceboo...
Can you afford to evacuate ahead of a disaster?
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are just at the start of hurricane season, and we're already seeing the danger and tragedy brought on by storms. There's another cost that gets muc...
Will the tax cuts pay for themselves?
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is now law. It's expected to cost the government a pretty penny. The Congressional Budget Office predicts a $3.4 trilli...
Why can't we insure trees?
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the U.S., we insure most everything we sell. So why not trees? Today on the show why trees aren't insured like other crops, and what it would take ...
One of the cheapest ways to save a life is going away (EXTENDED VERSION)
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was first published as a bonus episode for our Planet Money+ listeners. Today, we're making it available for everyone! U.S. aid helped Es...
How ICE crackdowns are affecting the workforce
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants might be the most profound change in the American labor market right now. Industries that rely on i...
Tech layoffs, recession pop and more listener questions answered
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are back with another edition of listener questions! In this round, we tackle recession pop, why the job market feels so crummy for IT grads, and w...
We're nearing 'peak population.' These economists are worried
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past century, the world's human population has exploded from around 2 billion to 8 billion. Meanwhile, the average fertility rate has gradual...
Can Starlink stay ahead in satellite internet?
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're watching Love Island in an RV or streaming a playlist in a remote California campground, if you're using satellite internet, odds are y...
Babies v climate change; AI v IP; bonds v world
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today's episode: Could more babies...
We're gonna need a bigger boat-building industry
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
During World War II, the U.S. shipbuilding industry flourished. Now, it's nearly non-existent. China is the dominant shipbuilder in the world economy....
One of the cheapest ways to save a life is going away
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's the price to save a human life? We examine the monumental legacy of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) with journalis...
Will Iran block the Strait of Hormuz?
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world has held a close eye on the Strait of Hormuz lately with Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran. Nearly a quarter of the world's seaborne oil pass...
You told us how tariffs are affecting you
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Americans like to spend money. In fact, we spend more per person than almost any other country in the world. So, we wanted to know how an uncertain ec...
SALT-n-pessimism
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today's episode: the Senate passes...
Why the 30-year bond matters
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, the U.S. Treasury held an auction for 30-year bonds. Some were worried no one would show up to buy these things! That didn't happen, but th...
Mixing family business with US trade policy in Vietnam
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, Eric Trump, executive vice president at The Trump Organization, attended a ceremony in Vietnam to break ground on a $1.5 billion residenti...
The secret to Nintendo's success
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nintendo has been a titan in the video game industry for decades, but that wasn't always the case. At its very core, Nintendo sees itself as a toy com...
Trump's parade, FEMA phase out, and Warner Bros. Discovery divorces ... itself?
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today's episode: the monetary cost...
The hidden costs of healthcare churn
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Healthcare churn—when people switch insurance plans—is particularly bad in the US. In today's episode, why Americans switch healthcare plans so mu...
The secret tariff-free zone
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's something interesting happening at the Port of Baltimore. On today's show, we explore the hidden world of bonded warehouses, where you can sta...
What's a revenge tax?
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For four decades, the US has maintained a consistent policy position: money should be fairly free to come and go in and out of the country. That's cha...
How doctors helped tank universal health care
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A debate has been raging over universal health care in the U.S. since the 1940s. Back then, a formidable opponent emerged to dump a lot of money into ...
Why U.S. workers keep getting more productive
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the last couple of years, U.S. labor productivity has been on the rise. And economists don't know exactly why. So today on the show, the president...
Gilded Age 2.0?
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To hear President Trump tell it, the late 1800s, i.e. the Gilded Age, were a period of unparalleled wealth and prosperity in the U.S. But this era was...
An indicator lost: big disaster costs
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. government has tallied the economic impact of major natural disasters going back to 1980. State and local governments used this data for bud...
Who should get mom's ring?
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
By 2048, more than $100 trillion is expected to be inherited, or passed down from one family member to another. But a lot of the time, the money doesn...
Why Gen Z is feeling 'money dysmorphia'
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A significant portion of young people feel like they aren't on solid financial footing. And yet, the numbers show Gen Z adults on average actually ear...
Let's 'TACO' 'bout General Motors gassing up V-8s and golden shares
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating numbers from the news. On today's episode, we examine: General Motors...
Are Trump's trade deals the real deal?
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Top Trump advisers have been boasting about 'awesome' trade deals the administration is negotiating with other countries. But are these deals real? T...
Why are college coaches paid so much?
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you had to guess, would you say the president of a university usually makes more money than the football coach? Well, you may be wrong. A college's...
How to build abundantly
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is building affordable housing so hard these days? We talk to author Derek Thompson about his new book with Ezra Klein, Abundance, about what they...
The dawn of search engines
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the show, we bring you a special episode from the Understood feed at CBC podcasts. It's an excerpt from a series called Who Broke the Interne...
Target, Klarna and Sesame Street's new addy
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can you tell me how to get... how to get to Indicators of the Week? This week's econ roundup looks at Target's sagging sales, Klarna's pay-later probl...
How Trump is making coin from $TRUMP coin
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Just before Trump began his second administration in January, he and his business partners launched the $TRUMP coin. It's a meme coin that quickly rak...
The old trade war that brought foreign carmakers to the U.S.
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump wants more products made in America, and he's not afraid of a few trade wars to make it happen. Back in the 80s, a different tr...
The rise of the credit card airport lounge
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are back to answer your questions, listeners. Today on the show, we tackle three big questions: Are airport lounges worth it for credit card compan...
The Art of the Deal ft. Beyoncé
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
All of us negotiate — whether it's accepting a job offer, buying a house or working out who does the dishes. Economist Daryl Fairweather has a new b...
Brain-controlled iPhones, a Japanese asset buy-a-thon, and Trump tax cut debt
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today's episode: Japanese asset bu...
Bond market nightmares
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In early April, the bond market gave people a scare. Investors began selling off their historically secure U.S. Treasuries in large quantities. It rep...
What we misunderstand about gun violence
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. is known around the world for its problem with gun violence. The vast majority of murders in the U.S. are committed using guns. But what lead...
A brief history of NPR funding
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where does NPR get its funding? Today on the show, we open our books and share a brief history of public radio. And we learn what's at stake with Pres...
It's actually really hard to make a robot, guys
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robots have been a thing for a long time, but they've never quite met expectations. While AI has changed the game for chatbots, it's not quite so clea...
What's in YOUR wallet?
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today's episode: China bulks up fo...
It's hard out there for a Fed chair
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has flirted with firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell since returning to office, but can he legally do that? Not without good ca...
Why do shrimpers like tariffs?
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many businesses are scared of what President Trump's tariffs will mean for their industry. However, the shrimping industry is one that doesn't seem to...
What do farmers do in a trade war?
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two American farmers tell us how they're feeling about a trade war that targets the soybean industry's biggest customer: China. Related episodes: How ...
Trump's cuts come for food banks
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Beigie Awards are back to recognize the regional Federal Reserve Bank with the best Beige Book entry. On today's episode, we shine a spotlight on ...
American science brain drain
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump's federal cuts and scrutiny of academic institutions are forcing some U.S. scientists to head for the border. On today's show, an ento...
How much international students matter to the economy
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many international students are rethinking their education in the United States as the federal government revokes visas, often over minor infractions....
How stable is Stablecoin?
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Stablecoins are the latest digital asset to grab headlines. Congress is considering legislation around the cryptocurrency, and a Trump family-affiliat...
Is the US pushing countries towards China?
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the U.S. goes head-to-head with the rest of the world on tariffs, those countries are trying to figure out their best diplomatic strategy. One dile...
When do boycotts work?
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For weeks, Target has been the subject of a boycott after its decision to pull back on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. And early dat...
Student loans are back, U.S. travel is whack, and AI — please, step back
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at the some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today's episode, we investigat...
Who's advising Trump on trade?
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has not been afraid to tack on tariffs over and over again. Allies and foes alike are anxiously wondering if the tariffs will stick or...
Dealmaker Don v. Tariff Man Trump
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump grew up learning to make deals. He's also loved tariffs since the 1970s. So are his market-shaking tariffs a bargaining chip? Or are they...
China's trade war perspective
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
By now, you've heard a lot about how the U.S.-China trade war is affecting American consumers, businesses and the stock market. But how is the trade w...
A trap-loving DJ takes on economics
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for The Indicator Quiz! We test you, dear listener, on your knowledge of topics that we've covered on The Indicator.Today's quiz show involv...
Economic lessons learned from Investopedia (and Ferris Bueller)
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The current economic upheaval has lots of us scrambling for our glossaries and history books. Today on the show, the editor-in-chief of Investopedia w...
Did Trump enable insider trading?
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On the morning of April 9, President Trump posted on Truth Social "THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT." Around four hours later, he announced a pause ...
The spat over VAT
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever passed through airport customs overseas and been refunded a VAT — or value added tax — for souvenirs, you've benefited from the VA...
How much is a weather forecast worth? (Update)
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government has been tracking the weather for more than 150 years. But the rise of the Internet and big tech have made weather forecasting ...
IRS information sharing, bonds bust, and a chorebot future
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the show, we discuss why the IRS is sharing some taxpayer information, why bonds and stocks both fell, and how robots will replace you,or at ...
What keeps a Fed president up at night
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"There's no bad weather, only bad clothing." That's the motto of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, where Austan Goolsbee is president. As economic ...
What happens when an economist becomes prime minister?
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the show, we meet Canada's new Prime Minister, economist Mark Carney. What's it like when your former job — being a non-political banker wh...
What's so bad about a trade deficit?
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump claims a main goal of his crippling tariffs is to address the U.S. trade deficit. So is the U.S. trade deficit a problem? On today's s...
Tariffied! We check in on businesses
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trump's wave of tariffs is here. Just about everyone in the world of business is still processing exactly what this means. It's a massive, widespread ...
How states are scooping up federal workers
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's Jobs Friday and all eyes are on government workers. Will the Trump administration's layoffs finally show up in the latest jobs report? Today on t...
Why the great vinyl shortage is over
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There have now been a few major vinyl booms. And unbeknownst to many, a small village in the Czech Republic has been responsible for manufacturing a l...
What $10 billion in data centers actually gets you
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Billions of tech dollars flowing into a community to build data centers should transform a local economy ... right? Well, maybe not. On today's episod...
Should we vote for all judges?
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mexico is gearing up to directly elect federal and state judges for the first time this June. President Claudia Sheinbaum says the new system will com...
Overly Friendly Emails and other marketing pet peeves
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brands trying to be your best bud. Generational labels. Gendered double standards. Today on the show: three advertising experts bring their three pet ...
Missing taxes, spiking copper and Napster's re-re-rebirth
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Indicators of the Week, we look at a huge projected tax shortfall, the price of copper and the afterlife of Napster, the peer-to-peer file-sharing ...
How nonprofits get cash from your clunker
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many nonprofits accept your used cars as a way to donate. This happens from Make-A-Wish America to Habitat for Humanity to ... public radio stations! ...
Can Europe stand without the US?
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As relations between the US and Europe continue to sour, European countries are working to lower their reliance on the U.S. for weapons and security. ...
How's ... everybody doing?
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's one word you'd use to describe the 2025 economy? That's the question we fanned out across the U.S. with microphones and open ears. From street ...
How specialization can lead to burn-out
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Half of all workers are showing signs of burnout according to a survey of international workers. Burnout can come from feeling detached from your work...
A new-ish gold rush and other indicators
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at interesting numbers from the news. On today's show, we welcome back co-host Adrian Ma.We also have the...
What's this about a crypto reserve?
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 2009, Bitcoin launched as the first cryptocurrency. Just under two decades, President Trump has signed an executive order to create the "Strategic ...
Why there's no referee for the trade war
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thirty years ago, the U.S. helped create the World Trade Organization, a group of countries linked by a common set of free trade agreements. But then ...
What might save China's economy
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
China has set out its target for economic growth this year: around 5 percent. That's a hefty goal for a nation coming off a painful real estate slump....