The Panama Canal links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It sees hundreds of billions worth of stuff pass through it every year. But a historic drought is making it a little harder for big cargo ships to get through the fifty-one mile long channel. Today on the show, we look at how this backup presents yet another test for global supply chains. Related Episode: Two Indicators: supply chain and solutions ( Apple Podcasts / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, sub...
Aug 31, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Every day, A Ze, a young woman in Beijing, would wake up early, do her makeup, and walk to her old work bus stop... and keep going. She'd left her job but couldn't let her parents know. China's urban youth unemployment rate hit 21% in June, a number way up from pre-pandemic times. But at the same time, factories are crying out for workers. Today, we talk about China's slowdown in growth, and how it's hit white-collar job openings the hardest, and how China's educated young people are sometimes o...
Aug 30, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over the years, U.S. agriculture has grown increasingly dependent on the H-2A Guest Worker program to bring in foreign workers to harvest crops. H2A is a vestige of a U.S. and Mexican policy called the Bracero Program, which ended in the 1960s. Today on the show, why farmers and farm worker advocates are calling for more scrutiny of the current-day visa program, which has been dogged by concerns about worker exploitation and safety. Related Episodes: Farm Jobs Friday ( Apple Podcasts / Spotify )...
Aug 29, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast What's hotter than a leather car seat in the late summer? The Indicator Quiz! We bring a listener onto the show and test their econ knowledge. Today's quiz is all about the Internet and artificial intelligence. Play along with us and see how you do! Are you interested in being a contestant on our next Indicator Quiz? Just email us your name and phone number at indicator@npr.org and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject line. Related Episodes: Breaking up big business is hard to do A night at the m...
Aug 28, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's Indicators of the Week, our weekly news roundup. Today, AI doesn't want to invest in AI, a county in Washington state implements a 4-day work week, and NYC says bye bye to Airbnb, sorta. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Music by Drop Electric . Find us: TikTok , Instagram , Facebook , Newsletter . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Aug 25, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Russia's Ruble is hovering around its lowest value against the dollar since June 2022. A weak currency is already a big deal for ordinary people affected by inflation, but in Russia, the concern is only amplified because of the Ruble's unique history in Russia. Today, we dive deep into Russia's historical connection to the Ruble and why a weak Ruble puts Russia in a difficult position today. Related Episodes: The artificial strength of the Russian ruble ( Apple Podcasts / Spotify ) For sponsor-f...
Aug 24, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The idea of a state-run bank in the United States feels like a foreign concept. While public banks are fixtures of the financial system in countries like Canada and Chile, only one state in the U.S. can say they have a public bank. Today, we explore the promises and challenges of public banking in the U.S. and what advocates can learn from 20th-century farmers in North Dakota. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.n...
Aug 23, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast You ask, we answer! We help a parent explain exchange rates to their kid, a high school teacher explain bond prices to his students, and we follow up on what happened to the diversity of the student body at the University of California after the state's ban on affirmative action. If you have a question you'd like us to answer, email us at indicator@npr.org . Can't get enough of these topics? We've got you covered! Here's our reporting on how ending affirmative action changed California and NPR's...
Aug 22, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast For over 10,000 years, many peoples in what's now known as North America relied on bison. Thirty million of these creatures stretched from modern Canada all the way down to Mexico. But in the late 1800s hide-hunters and the U.S. military annihilated the bison, bringing them to the brink of extinction. And that had consequences for the people who relied on the bison. Consequences that we still see today. Today, we hear from an economist who revealed the shocking numbers telling this story, and on...
Aug 21, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last year, the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law as the Biden Administration's signature attempt to combat climate change. Today, we present three climate-related indicators with guest Nate Hegyi of the public radio podcast, Outside/In. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Music by Drop Electric . Find us: TikTok , Instagram , Facebook , Newsletter . Learn more about sponsor message choices: pod...
Aug 18, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The average mortgage rate in the U.S. just hit 7.09%—its highest level in more than two decades. And that's having ripple effects in the wider economy. Some homeowners feel locked in, tethered to their super low interest rates and unable to find something better. Today on the show, what happens when homeowners are locked in by low rates? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Music by Drop Electric . Find u...
Aug 17, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yellow stunned the trucking industry when it filed for bankruptcy this month. The nearly hundred-year old company said it will lay off 30,000 employees and liquidate all of its assets. On today's show, a glimpse into Yellow's bankruptcy process: who's blaming who for what, and an explainer on a specific type of loan - the debtor in possession financing - which promises some rich returns to the lender in this case. For more on challenges in the trucking industry check out our story on the spot ma...
Aug 16, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are often taught to think of math as a rigid set of rules, never to be questioned. But that is exactly the wrong way to think about it, according to one mathematician. Today on the show, we talk to Eugenia Cheng about her new book " Is Math Real?: How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics' Deepest Truths " and how math can help us ask more probing questions about the world around us. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts ...
Aug 15, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Federal Trade Commission is the sheriff for big businesses. One of its main functions is to stop companies from buying up other companies in a way that hurts competition. Those investigations have been going way up under FTC Chair Lina Khan, and it's not gone unnoticed by critics in business and some Republican lawmakers. Today on the show, we look at the FTC's scorecard under Lina Khan. Related Episodes: Listen to Planet Money's three-part series on antitrust. • Antitrust one • Antitrust tw...
Aug 14, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a week jam-packed with major economic news, we've selected a few of our favorite stories for Indicators of the Week. Today we cover an Italian bank story, the drop in Chinese imports and the $1.6 billion acquisition of Simon & Schuster. Related Episodes: Are we entering a new dawn for antitrust enforcement? ( Apple Podcasts / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Music by Drop Electric . Find ...
Aug 11, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast You've heard of The Price Is Right, but what about Is This A Bank? It's a game show where contestants puzzle over some obvious and not-so-obvious places where people store their money. This podcast may or may not remind you where your secret stashes of cash are hidden. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Music by Drop Electric . Find us: TikTok , Instagram , Facebook , Newsletter . Learn more about spons...
Aug 10, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dinosaur museums have dinosaurs. Space museums have spacecraft. But what would a dedicated museum of the economy have in it? That was a question author and friend of the show Tim Harford recently posed in his column for the Financial Times. So we decided to run with this thought experiment, too. Today on the show, get ready for a night at the museum — of the economy. Read Tim's original column and listen to his podcast . For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to ...
Aug 09, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast RaeShawn and LaShone Middleton are twin sisters and business owners based in Columbia, Maryland. We last talked to them in the midst of the pandemic when they were just getting started with their steamed crab delivery service called R&L Crab. Today, we check back with the sisters and see how their business is fairing two years later. Related Episodes: Entrepreneurship On The Rise ( Apple Podcasts / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+...
Aug 08, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Even if there isn't a recession right now, there are still vulnerable spots in the economy that could cause economic pain. Today on the show, we explore why some are concerned about the markets for commercial real estate and private credit. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Music by Drop Electric . Find us: TikTok , Instagram , Facebook , Newsletter . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastch...
Aug 07, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Farm employment numbers are historically very hard to track. Partly because they fluctuate a lot from season to season, partly because a large portion of farm workers are undocumented. They're also not included in the monthly job numbers, which means we hardly ever talk about them on Jobs Friday. But today we're bringing you "Farm Jobs Friday" as we zoom in on three big trends in farm employment. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple P...
Aug 04, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Meta's new social media platform, Threads, had a rocket-like start when it launched a month ago as a challenger to X (formerly known as Twitter). But it's far from clear which platform will prove dominant. Today, an expert in online networks walks us through the economics of this social media battle. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Aug 03, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The credit rating agency, Fitch, caused a stir yesterday when it downgraded the United States' credit rating from AAA to AA plus. This came less than a week since Federal Reserve staff stopped forecasting a recession on the horizon. So what gives? Today, we talk to an economist to break down the reasons why Fitch no longer views the US as among the safest of bets. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn...
Aug 02, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do office workers get as much done working from home as they do in person? We've been debating this question for years. At the beginning of the pandemic, many economists thought yes, people can be just as productive from home. Wouldn't it have been nice if they'd just stopped there? Well, they didn't. And new evidence suggests working from home, at least full-time, may not be as productive as we once thought. Some of the research referenced in this show: Jose Maria Barrero, Nicholas Bloom and St...
Aug 01, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's been a summer of record breaking heat. And for both outdoor and indoor workers, that heat poses a growing health risk. Around the country, worker advocates and industry groups are in an ongoing fight over how to address extreme heat and workplace safety. And that got The Indicator team thinking about an episode we did last year. Co-hosts Adrian Ma and Darian Woods spoke to an economist who said heat safety regulations could be a win-win-win for workers, businesses and the economy. You can f...
Jul 31, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this edition of Indicators of the Week, we talk about the end of surprise IRS visits, new research on elite college admissions, and why a soft landing is in sight. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jul 28, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hollywood has been on strike for weeks with writers and actors hitting picket lines from California to New York. The unions for both groups, the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, say a major sticking point in negotiations with major studios has been over one item in particular: residuals. Today on the show, we talk to SAG-AFTRA's chief negotiator on how residuals are drying up for actors in the age of streaming. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Pla...
Jul 27, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Federal Reserve finds itself in a tricky spot with inflation just a notch above its target of 2%. This poses a challenge for the central bank as they enter what's known as the "last mile" of monetary policy. Today, we explain why the final stretch of the Fed's race to 2% inflation is considered the hardest. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.co...
Jul 26, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lots of women left the workforce early in the pandemic. At the time, there were fears these women would stay out of the workforce for years, if they returned at all. But women's participation in the labor force, between the ages of 25 and 54, is at an all time high. Check out more of NPR's Scott Horsley's reporting on women's return to the workforce . And listen back to our previous episodes about women leaving the workforce in 2020 and why many women didn't immediately return . For sponsor-free...
Jul 25, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast After a stunning box office opening of more than $300 million worldwide for the new Greta Gerwig film, the Barbieverse is having its moment. So what better time to examine what Barbie's 200-plus careers over the decades—from fashion model to astronaut to teacher—tell us about real-life women in the workforce. Today on the show, a former economics educator gives us a Barbie pink-colored lens on the labor market. You can find the St. Louis Fed's Barbie curriculum here . Related Episodes: Want more...
Jul 24, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tired of waiting days for your money to transfer in the bank? So is the Fed. It's just launched a new instant payment system that could mean no more waiting for your paycheck to come through. Plus, after a nearly four-year wait, the bizarre-looking Tesla Cybertruck is here! We check in on how it compares to other electric pickup trucks on the market. And a draft research paper has the economics profession on edge. A popular online forum for econ jobs has long been littered with abusive, racist, ...
Jul 22, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
