The Indicator from Planet Money A little show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening today. It's a quick hit of insight into work, business, the economy, and everything else. Listen weekday afternoons.

Try Planet Money+! a new way to support the show you love, get a sponsor-free feed of the podcast, *and* get access to bonus content. You'll also get access to The Indicator and Planet Money Summer School, both without interruptions. sign up at plus.npr.org/planetmoney

The Indicator from Planet Money

From NPR

A little show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening today. It's a quick hit of insight into work, business, the economy, and everything else. Listen weekday afternoons.

Try Planet Money+! a new way to support the show you love, get a sponsor-free feed of the podcast, *and* get access to bonus content. You'll also get access to The Indicator and Planet Money Summer School, both without interruptions. sign up at plus.npr.org/planetmoney

Most Recent Episodes

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Not too hot, not too cold: a 'Goldilocks' jobs report

It's Jobs Friday and the jobs report is in! There's more jobs! ... but not as many as expected. And there's a teensy bit more unemployment and slower wage growth. But there's an upside ... Plus, healthcare is growing like gangbusters and how immigrants affect American-born workers.

Not too hot, not too cold: a 'Goldilocks' jobs report

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CA Highway Patrol officers walk on the University of California, Los Angeles campus on May 1, 2024 near a pro-Palestinian encampment. Hundreds of protesters have since been arrested on UCLA's campus. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption

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Mario Tama/Getty Images

Protesters want schools to divest from Israel. How would that work?

College campuses nationwide are erupting with protests against Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza. A consistent theme among these actions: a call for university endowment "divestment."

Protesters want schools to divest from Israel. How would that work?

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A cabinet maker in North Carolina is seeing interest rates slow down home development. His clients in the Outer Banks though, pictured here, are moving ahead as normal. John Greim/LightRocket hide caption

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John Greim/LightRocket

What a cabinet maker can teach us about interest rates

The Beigie Awards are back to recognize the regional Federal Reserve Bank with the best Beige Book entry. This time, we shine a spotlight on one entry that explains how some businesses are feeling the impacts of higher for longer interest rates.

What a cabinet maker can teach us about interest rates

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Photograph courtesy of Darian Woods Darian Woods/Darian Woods hide caption

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Darian Woods/Darian Woods

Is the federal debt REALLY that bad?

Sandwiched between a burger joint and an oyster bar in New York City hangs a daunting image: The National Debt Clock. And that debt number? It just keeps ticking up. How deep in the hole are we? Nearly a hundred percent of gross domestic product. And counting. Today on the show, the federal debt. Is it time to freak out? Or is there nothing to see here?

Is the federal debt REALLY that bad?

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Luxury beach front houses on the Outer Banks in North Carolina John Greim/LightRocket hide caption

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John Greim/LightRocket

Taxing the final frontier

Launches by commercial space companies are becoming more frequent. Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration licensed 117, an all-time high. But these spaceflight companies aren't paying for all of the FAA's services that they use.

Taxing the final frontier

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Theresa O'Reilly for NPR

Video Game Industry Week: The Final Level

We wrap up our series on the economics of the video game industry with a triple roundup. Today, how the new ban on noncompete contracts could affect the gaming industry, whether young men are slacking off work to play games and the ever-controversial world of loot boxes.

Video Game Industry Week: The Final Level

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Despite the video game industry raking in more and more money every year, the working conditions for many designers leave much to be desired. Recent surveys show that developers don't believe their careers are sustainable, leading to a surge of unionization efforts in the industry. Theresa O'Reilly for NPR hide caption

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Theresa O'Reilly for NPR

Work. Crunch. Repeat: Why gaming demands so much of its employees

Employees at video game companies are known for working long hours to meet product launch deadlines. This pressure, known in the industry as crunch, has only gotten more intense as games have grown more complex. Mounting layoffs in the growing industry have only made things worse on the labor front, inspiring some workers to take matters into their own hands.

Work. Crunch. Repeat: Why gaming demands so much of its employees

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The explosive growth of Esports has made it so that elite-level competitive gamers can leverage their ability into a full-time job. But what does the life of a typical Esports pro look like and how do they think about their long-term prospects with Esports growth stagnating? Theresa O'Reilly for NPR hide caption

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Theresa O'Reilly for NPR

The boom and bust of esports

The origins of competitive gaming are rooted in college campuses going back to the early 1970s. Now a globally popular industry, esports is at the center of many questions about long-term financial viability.

The boom and bust of esports

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Accessibility has long been an afterthought in the video game industry. However, that's changed over the last decade as incentives have changed. It's estimated that there are 46 million gamers with disabilities, creating a strong incentive for video game companies to improve their accessibility efforts. Theresa O'Reilly for NPR hide caption

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Theresa O'Reilly for NPR

Designing for disability: how video games become more accessible

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.

Designing for disability: how video games become more accessible

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The 2010s saw a seismic shift in the business model for the video game industry. The widespread embrace of the "Live Service" model revolutionized the industry and enabled companies to maximize their profits, to the annoyance of many gamers. Theresa O'Reilly for NPR hide caption

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Theresa O'Reilly for NPR

Forever games: the economics of the live service model

People used to pay one standard price for their favorite games in a one-off transaction. But now, many game companies are offering their games for free, supported by in-game purchases. This is called the live service model.

Forever games: the economics of the live service model

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