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The Indicator from Planet Money A bite-sized show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening in today's economy. It's a quick hit of insight into money, work, and business. Monday through Friday, in 10 minutes or less.
The Indicator from Planet Money

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The Indicator from Planet Money

From NPR

A bite-sized show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening in today's economy. It's a quick hit of insight into money, work, and business. Monday through Friday, in 10 minutes or less.

Most Recent Episodes

Moochers, monopolists and market-based poverty help

A political cartoon showing the bosses of the Senate monopoly corporate interests Nawrocki/ClassicStock/Getty Images hide caption

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Nawrocki/ClassicStock/Getty Images

Moochers, monopolists and market-based poverty help

Public sector economics is a fundamental piece of the discipline. So we wanted to give our hosts an opportunity to put their knowledge to the test in a game we’re calling Indicator Quizbowl. Today on the show, Wailin and Darian go head to head to see who the bigger public policy nerd is.Related episodes: 

Moochers, monopolists and market-based poverty help

Listen · 9:07
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Outside fencing of Meta's data center in Eagle Mountain, Utah.

Meta's data center in Eagle Mountain, Utah. George Frey/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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George Frey/AFP via Getty Images

Who's financing Meta's massive AI data center?

In a rural pocket of northeastern Louisiana, Meta is building a $30 billion data center called Hyperion. But it’s not being completely financed with Meta’s own money. Today on the show, the opaque system of AI data center financing and why it’s fueling fears of a bubble. 

Who's financing Meta's massive AI data center?

Listen · 9:12
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Who’s buying all the beef?

NYC is home to El Gauchito, an Argentine butcher with beef cuts like this Darian Woods/NPR hide caption

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Darian Woods/NPR

Who’s buying all the beef?

President Trump has said he’d try to get more Argentine beef into the U.S. So who would actually do the buying? That’s a general theme with a lot of these trade deals — big numbers but vague details. When China says it’ll buy more soybeans, is it the government or companies that does the buying? When South Korea promises to invest in American shipyards, who’s actually doing that?  Today on the show, we dig into two questions from listeners and hear directly from an Argentine butcher. Related episodes: 

Who’s buying all the beef?

Listen · 9:05
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Packages of ground beef are seen at a supermarket in Houston, Texas.

Packages of ground beef are seen at a supermarket in Houston, Texas. RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images

Pay transparency. The WhatsApp and Instagram decision. Our beef with screwworms.

It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

Pay transparency. The WhatsApp and Instagram decision. Our beef with screwworms.

Listen · 9:13
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A man reacts as he arrives at his burned home during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles on January 2025.
Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

How to avoid scammers after a natural disaster

When people lose their homes to wildfire, hurricanes or flooding, they're eager to rebuild. But scammers are also ready to take advantage. On today’s show, the lucrative business of contractor fraud and advice on how to avoid them. Related episodes:

How to avoid scammers after a natural disaster

Listen · 9:24
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American auto parts suppliers book times at the Mazda-Toyota table for speed dating.

American auto parts suppliers book times at the Mazda-Toyota table for speed dating. Stephan Bisaha/Stephan Bisaha hide caption

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Stephan Bisaha/Stephan Bisaha

Looking for love in the auto supply chain

Foreign automakers already have huge assembly plants in the U.S., but lots of parts and materials come from overseas. 

Looking for love in the auto supply chain

Listen · 8:59
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How to make switching jobs not terrifying

Rakul Skardenni found a smooth path towards a new job with Denmark's "flexicurity" system John Mcconnico/Getty Images hide caption

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John Mcconnico/Getty Images

How to make switching jobs not terrifying

The U.S. labor market is stagnant right now, with little hiring and lots of people holding onto their jobs for dear life. In Denmark, there’s a different kind of labor system where it’s easy for employers to hire and fire, but at the same time people have a strong safety net in-between jobs. Today on the show, we learn how “flexicurity” works through the story of a Danish woman who left her job, and we ask how the model could work in the U.S. Related episodes:

How to make switching jobs not terrifying

Listen · 9:25
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Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler, holding a jar of coins, discusses a behavioral economic theory he popularized known as the winner's curse.

Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler discusses a behavioral economic theory he popularized known as the winner's curse. Darian Woods/NPR hide caption

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Darian Woods/NPR

Why you overpaid at that online auction

Ever put in the winning bid for something on an auction site only to realize you significantly overpaid? Yeah, there’s a phrase for that. On today’s show: the winner’s curse.

The winner's curse

Listen · 8:59
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A close-up of an Uber app is seen on an iPhone.
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50-year mortgages, falling real wages, and doing your rideshare due diligence

It’s … Indicators of the Week! We look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news and bring them to you.

50-year mortgages, falling real wages, and doing your rideshare due diligence

Listen · 9:29
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U.S. President Donald Trump greets President of Argentina Javier Milei as he arrives at the White House on October 14, 2025.

President Trump greets President of Argentina Javier Milei as he arrives at the White House on Oct. 14. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption

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Where the US got $20B to bail out Argentina

The U.S. is committed to bailing out Argentina to the tune of $20 billion using a little known mechanism called the Exchange Stabilization Fund. On today’s show, what is this fund, why was it created and does Argentina have any hope of paying it back? Related episodes: 

How the Argentina bailout works

Listen · 9:10
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