The Indicator from Planet Money
Latest Episodes
Does unemployment whiplash mean recession?
It's Jobs Friday! It's that time of the month where we check in on the American worker.In September, 254,000 jobs were added to the US economy and the unemployment rate ticked down very slightly to 4.1%. It's unexpectedly strong, and relieving news for wo
Champagne. Neapolitan pizza. Now döner kebabs?
In Germany, dner kebabs are more than just an affordable, satisfying street food. They're a symbol of Turkey's culinary influence in the country. Today on the show, how an effort to give dner kebabs a protected status under a little-known EU regulation
Are we about to lose TikTok? Like actually tho?
TikTok could begin shutting down in the U.S. as soon as January 19 of next year. But the app is not going down without a fight. The company is asking a panel of federal judges to block the law in a high-profile case that pits free speech versus national s
Is an American sovereign wealth fund such a bad idea?
Sovereign wealth funds have been around since the 1800s, but they're having a bit of a moment right now ... The financial instrument was recently name-dropped in HBOs 'Industry' (good show!) and members of both the Biden administration and the Trump campa
Mail bag! Grad jobs, simplified branding and central bank independence
Penny for your thoughts? Today we open our mail bag to hear from Indicator listeners. A college graduate tells us about their job search, a researcher discusses why products advertised as 'simple' may not be so straightforward, and another listener thinks
America's small GDP bump, China's big stimulus dispersal, and a Monkey King
It's time for ... Indicators of the Week! It is our show where we talk about fascinating numbers from the news. On today's episode, America's small GDP increase, a big assist from China's government to its lower income residents, and a high-grossing, cent
What does the next era of Social Security look like?
Peak 65 is here. More than 4 million Americans will turn 65 each year between 2024 and 2027, representing the largest retirement surge in history. Years ago, older Americans could count on Social Security. But today there is some uncertainty on the progr
Are pharmacy benefit managers driving up drug prices? (Update)
A group of obscure yet powerful players in the prescription drug industry are under the microscope. On Tuesday, at a Senate hearing in D.C., the head of pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk blamed the health insurance industry and pharmacy benefit managers,
How to pass on a global media empire
Rupert Murdoch took an Australia paper in Adelaide and turned it into one of the most influential media empires in the world. The question of who will run it after he's gone though is the subject of speculation both in reality and on the HBO fictional ser
Could you live without GPS? It's OK, the economy can't, either
A recent survey found that nearly half of all Americans say they could not live without GPS in their car. The American economy couldn't live without GPS, either! Clocks on Wall Street, commercial fishermen, and of course, your Lyft driver, all rely on sat