Wailin Wong
Stories
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Ghost jobs
Today's jobs report shows a slight rise in unemployment to 4%. And some frustrated job seekers are growing tired of applying for job after job with no replies, sometimes asking whether the listings are even real. And this isn't just vexing for applicants. It's also haunting economists when trying to figure out how much slack there is in the labor market, and whether interest rates should be raised or lowered. Today on the show: the rise of ghost jobs. Where they're happening and why. Related episodes: Not too hot, not too cold: a 'Goldilocks' jobs report The Beigie Awards: From Ghosting to Coasting 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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A debt hawk and a debt dove on what the future could hold for federal debt
The U.S. debt is close to the highest it's ever been as a share of the Gross Domestic Product. Should we be concerned? The Indicator spoke to a debt dove and a debt hawk for their thoughts.
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Should commercial space companies contribute to the FAA the way airlines do?
There's a fund that commercial airlines pay into for things such as safety inspections, but commercial space companies don't pay into that fund. (Story aired on All Things Considered on May 9, 2024.)
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Should commercial space companies contribute to the FAA the way airlines do?
There's this fund that all commercial airlines pay into for things like safety inspections. But there's a growing user of FAA resources that doesn't pay into that fund: Commercial space companies.
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'The Indicator from Planet Money': How video games became more accessible
The team at The Indicator from Planet Money explores the shifting status quo on accessibility in video games.
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Diving into diaspora bonds, and how they keep Israel afloat
Israel's war with Hamas is squeezing the country's finances. That's where diaspora bonds come in.
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War in the Middle East usually makes oil prices spike. Why isn't that happening now?
During the Yom Kippur war, embargoes drove oil prices up. But oil prices have actually gone down since the Oct. 7 attack. In a time of upheaval in the Middle East, we explore why prices are falling.
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World's oldest bond is gearing up for its 400th birthday. It's still paying interest
Hidden deep in an archive in New Jersey is the world's oldest living bond. It was originally issued to fund a dike in the Netherlands after a big flood.
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The story of an Indigenous woman in Colombia who fought back against Coca-Cola
The coca leaf has been a part of Andean culture for thousands of years. But when an indigenous woman used it in a drink she calls Coca Pola, her company entered into the crosshairs of Coca-Cola.
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How will generative AI — such as ChatGPT — affect the workplace?
New technologies often benefit highly paid, college-educated professionals — while putting others out of work. Research indicates generative AI could benefit middle-skill workers in surprising ways.