logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
22m 20s

The Indicators of this year and next

NPR
About this episode
This year, there was some economic good news to go around. Inflation generally ticked down. Unemployment more or less held around 4-percent. Heck, the Fed even cut interest rates three times. But for a lot of people, the overall economic vibes were more important. And the vibes... were still off.

We might have achieved the soft landing the Fed was hoping for, but we saw some wackiness in the relationship between unemployment and job vacancies. Meanwhile, Bitcoin went to the moon. We have covered all of that in this past year, but which of these economic stories really defined the year?

Fortunately, we don't have to decide. You all do.

On today's show, a collaboration with our daily podcast The Indicator, we have Indicator Family Feud! Two Planet Money hosts enter, one Indicator host... also enters. And all three leave, having had a great time with lively discussion and light ribbing. Plus, some mild scheduling issues. But, we can't stress enough that no hosts were harmed in the making of this podcast.

Then, we look ahead to 2025 to see what indicators we think will define the coming year – the future and the past, on our latest episode!

Help support
Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Oct 7
Charles Ponzi's scheme (plus a new scam)
Charles Ponzi was down on his luck. In 1919, the Italian immigrant had spent a decade and a half in the U.S. He was looking for a way to get rich and tried his hand at everything — including bookkeeping, sign painting, grocery clerk, dishwasher, and librarian.He caught a lucky br ... Show More
25m 30s
Oct 2
Where all those weird new drinks are coming from
It's getting pretty wild in the beverage aisle these days — from the rainbow wall of seltzers, to the increasingly strange flavors of Pepsi, to the new "functional" sodas with added fiber or supplements that supposedly offer health benefits. Where are all these new drinks coming ... Show More
29m 40s
Sep 30
Who’s gonna pay for your Social Security?
Very soon, Social Security may not have enough money to make full payments to retirees. Very soon. Like by 2032, just six years from now. So what are we gonna do about it? Today on the show, we look at some of the most talked about possible solutions; and exactly whose wallets we ... Show More
29m 13s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
What a difference a year makes
Expectations for 2023’s economy were rather sour — and what delivered blew predictions out of the water. But what are economists anticipating for the year ahead? Plenty of high hopes, including predictions of a rising S&P 500 index, falling inflation, lower interest rates and an ... Show More
7m 17s
Aug 2025
Fed independence in the spotlight as markets await key inflation gauge
Yesterday saw a flurry of economic data releases, accompanied by significant political developments. The US economy demonstrated stronger-than-expected resilience in the second quarter, expanding at a revised annualised rate of 3.3%, while recent labour market figures suggest a s ... Show More
16m 25s
Dec 2023
Can we ever get good news?
In the last week, we’ve seen some solid labor and retail data. Unemployment is low, job availability is high and consumers are spending more than they did last year. But in an economy that’s hyperfocused on tamping down inflation, what’s good for workers might not be good for pri ... Show More
27m 19s
Jan 2025
Intertwined markets and upcoming earnings
Investors have had trouble getting started in 2025, but there's good data on the horizon (0:30). Economic concerns around Trump's tariff talk (2:30). The Fed's 'no landing', bond market movement (4:20). Bitcoin worries might carry over into tech (see Palantir) (6:40). CES and pos ... Show More
13m 48s