The Indicator from Planet Money NPR

From ghost apartments empty in China, to a backlog of ships in Los Angeles, to towns struggling to find city managers... yes, it's time for Indicators of the Week!

For decades China exported better and cheaper stuff. But now China's experiencing a factory worker crunch. It's been a long time coming.

A real estate startup says it's the fastest company in American history to achieve a billion-dollar valuation, but the neighbors aren't buying what they're selling: fractional home ownership.

Political upheaval! Conspiracy theories! Global spread of disease! Sounds like a recipe for... trust? Today on the show, how 2020 increased trust, and how that trust underpins so much of our economy.

With the pandemic shutting down in-person life, thousands of retail stores closed up shop. But, some retailers see an opportunity for growth by moving into American malls. Let's go to the mall.

It's that time of the week again! On today's show, we bring the indicators on airline vaccine mandates, U.S. poverty after all that pandemic aid and a surprising shakeup in college rankings.