Current:Home > InvestIndicator exploder: jobs and inflation-LoTradeCoin
Indicator exploder: jobs and inflation
View Date:2024-12-24 10:57:25
When someone says "the economy is doing well"—what does that even mean? Like, for workers, for employers, for the country as a whole? According to what calculation? How do you put a number on it?
The world of economics is filled with all sorts of "measuring sticks." GDP. Inflation. Unemployment. Consumer sentiment. Over time, all kinds of government agencies, universities and private companies have come up with different ways to measure facets of the economy. These measures factor into all kinds of huge decisions—things like government policy, business strategies, maybe even your personal career choices or investments.
On today's show, we're going to lift the curtain on two of these yardsticks. We are going to meet the people tasked with sticking a number on two huge measures of our economic well being: the official U.S. government inflation report and the monthly unemployment and jobs numbers. Come along and see how the measures get made.
This episode was hosted by Darian Woods, Stacey Vanek Smith, and Wailin Wong. It was produced by Julia Ritchey and Jess Kung with help from James Sneed. Engineering by Gilly Moon and James Willetts. It was fact-checked by Michael He and Corey Bridges, and edited by Kate Concannon and Viet Le. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.
Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
Always free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR One or anywhere you get podcasts.
Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.
Music: NPR Source Audio - "Cool As Ice," "Too Too Cool," and "Back In The Day"
veryGood! (5585)
Related
- Trump announces Tom Homan, former director of immigration enforcement, will serve as ‘border czar’
- TikToker Taylor Frankie Paul Shares One Regret After Mormon Swinging Sex Scandal
- Linkin Park reunite 7 years after Chester Bennington’s death, with new music
- Demi Lovato Shares Childhood Peers Signed a Suicide Petition in Trailer for Child Star
- Love Actually Secrets That Will Be Perfect to You
- Demi Lovato Shares Childhood Peers Signed a Suicide Petition in Trailer for Child Star
- Rich Homie Quan, the Atlanta rapper known for trap jams like ‘Type of Way,’ dies at 34
- Louisiana legislators grill New Orleans DA for releasing people convicted of violent crimes
- Vegas Sphere reports revenue decline despite hosting UFC 306, Eagles residency
- Best Deals Under $50 at Revolve's End-of-Summer Sale: Get Up to 87% on Top Brands Like Free People & More
Ranking
- Glen Powell responds to rumor that he could replace Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'
- More extreme heat plus more people equals danger in these California cities
- Taylor Swift hasn't endorsed Trump or Harris. Why do we care who she votes for?
- What's at stake in Michigan vs. Texas: the biggest college football game of Week 2
- Will the NBA Cup become a treasured tradition? League hopes so, but it’s too soon to tell
- Rich Homie Quan, the Atlanta rapper known for trap jams like ‘Type of Way,’ dies at 34
- Freshman classes provide glimpse of affirmative action ruling’s impact on colleges
- Persistent power outages in Puerto Rico spark outrage as officials demand answers
Recommendation
-
Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn is ending her retirement at age 40 to make a skiing comeback
-
Why you should add sesame seeds to your diet
-
California schools release a blizzard of data, and that’s why parents can’t make sense of it
-
Former cadets accuse the Coast Guard Academy of failing to stop sexual violence
-
Mariah Carey's Amazon Holiday Merch Is All I Want for Christmas—and It's Selling Out Fast!
-
Target adds 1,300 new Halloween products for 2024, including $15 costumes
-
'Great' dad. 'Caring' brother. Families mourn Georgia high school shooting victims.
-
Ravens vs. Chiefs kickoff delayed due to lightning in Arrowhead Stadium area