Episodes

  • Half a billion people need reading glasses. Why can't they get them? (Encore)

    Half a billion people need reading glasses. Why can't they get them? (Encore)
    Dec 27 2024
    If you need some reading glasses in the United States, you don't have to break the bank to pick some up. That's important for older folks who need a little extra magnification. But in some parts of the world, people who need readers don't have that privilege. Today on the show, we'll find out why that is and learn the economic solution to the reading glasses shortage.

    This piece originally aired October 9, 2024.

    Related episodes:
    Two indicators: supply chain solutions (Apple / 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 us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • How video games become more accessible (Encore)

    How video games become more accessible (Encore)
    Dec 26 2024
    Gaming provides entertainment and community for billions of people worldwide. However, video games haven't always been accessible to those with disabilities. But this is changing. Today we explain how accessibility has become an increasingly important priority for game developers and how advocates pushed them to this point.

    This piece originally aired April 23, 2024.

    Related episodes:
    Forever games: the economics of the live service model (Apple / Spotify)
    The Indicator's video game series

    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.

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    9 mins
  • How TV holiday rom-coms got so successful (Encore)

    How TV holiday rom-coms got so successful (Encore)
    Dec 24 2024
    Happy Holidays from The Indicator! For the next week, we're running some of our favorite shows from this year. On today's show, we fire up the gas logs and pour a mug of cocoa to discuss the made-for-TV rom-com machine, and how television executives learned to mass produce seasonal romance.

    This piece originally aired October 21, 2024.

    Related episodes:
    Love Week series page
    TV holiday rom coms and the alpaca bubble that burst (PM+ only)

    Special thanks to Grant-Lee Phillips for our Love Week theme song and Kaitlin Brito for episode artwork.

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at     plus.npr.org.

    Fact-checking by     Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    10 mins
  • What indicators will 2025 bring?

    What indicators will 2025 bring?
    Dec 23 2024
    2024 is over (phew!). We had weird consumer sentiment vibes, Bitcoin went to the moon, and the economy might have achieved a soft landing. And that's just a few 2024 indicators!

    As we enter 2025, what indicators should we keep an eye on? Planet Money co-hosts Kenny Malone and Jeff Guo look ahead with Adrian Ma for Indicators of the Year ... Ahead!

    Related Episodes:
    Econ Battle Zone: Disinflation Confrontation
    The Fed cut rates ... now what? (featuring: Sasquatch)
    The Indicators of this year and next (2023)

    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.

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    10 mins
  • Help us pick the indicator of the year!

    Help us pick the indicator of the year!
    Dec 20 2024
    2024 was a wild year for the U.S. economy: The economy did well in terms of inflation and unemployment, but vibes ruled the roost. (Mostly didn't feel great!) Additionally, Bitcoin went to the moon and some wacky stuff was happening with unemployment and job opening rates, showing that we might have achieved an economic soft landing.

    So ... which of these economic stories defined the year?

    Our hosts from Planet Money and The Indicator duke it out in ... Family Feud!

    Tell us who you think won today's episode by submitting your vote to Planet Money's Instagram or email us with "Family Feud" in the subject line.

    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.

    Related Episodes:
    Is the financial media making us miserable about the economy?
    What's behind Bitcoin's bullrun?
    What the Beveridge curve tells us about jobs

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    9 mins
  • Can empty-nesters boost housing affordability?

    Can empty-nesters boost housing affordability?
    Dec 19 2024
    The "silver tsunami" of aging Americans is often seen as a potential way to alleviate the country's housing affordability woes. However, the data suggests that an influx of empty-nester homes coming on the market won't have much of an impact on the problem—because of a geographical mismatch.

    Today on the show, we speak to an economist who's looked into the silver tsunami's impact on the housing market and thinks this theory might be more of a red herring.

    This episode was fact checked by Sierra Juarez

    Related episodes:
    The graying of America
    What would it take to fix retirement?
    How big is the US housing shortage?
    The highs and lows of US rents

    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.

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    9 mins
  • Trump's contradictory trade policies

    Trump's contradictory trade policies
    Dec 18 2024
    President-elect Donald Trump has called for a weaker dollar given it would be good for American exporters. But tariffs, a staple of his economic policy, would actually strengthen the dollar. Today on the show, we explain tariffs and currencies by following one bag manufacturer from New Jersey.

    Related episodes:
    How Trump's tariffs plan might work (Apple / Spotify)
    Worst. Tariffs. Ever. (update) (Apple / Spotify)

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    8 mins
  • Do job references matter?

    Do job references matter?
    Dec 17 2024
    In the not-so-distant past, serving as someone's job reference meant answering a few questions over the phone. Nowadays, that process is often more involved, with prospective employers asking references for written responses or to fill out a form online. What's behind this shift? On today's show, we check in on reference checks, and ask whether they still matter.

    Related episodes:
    Ghost jobs (Apple / 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 us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins