Platypus Economics with Justin Wolfers

Chart trend

Position in the Courses chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#6#10JunJulAugSep

all-time peak

228

days in the top 3 since Nov 2024

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

The Jobs Report Beat Expectations. Will The Fed Care?

#12 trending · Education

The economy added 162,000 jobs in August — far above the 50,000 to 60,000 Wall Street expected — and Justin Wolfers is smiling, because this is genuinely good news. Unemp

Sep 4
13 min

The Bond Sell-Off Isn’t the Scary Part | Diving In

#6 trending · Courses

Everyone's talking about the bond market, and Justin Wolfers is here to explain what's actually going on — without the panic. In this episode of Diving In, he strips the

Sep 2
13 min

Who Actually Paid for the Trade War? | Diving In

#18 trending · Courses

Trump’s tariffs were supposed to do five things. So how did they actually score? Justin Wolfers grades the tariff agenda against the administration’s own goals. Did tar

Sep 2
23 min

Can You Sanction a Country That's Already Cut Off? | The Professor Is In

In this episode of the Professor Is In, Justin answers your questions about "Operation Economic Outcast," the White House plan to squeeze Iran by threatening its trading

Sep 1
20 min

The Fed Chair Won't Talk (But Markets Listened Anyway) | Off the Clock

On this Fed-heavy episode of Off the Clock, Justin Wolfers and Bloomberg's Stacey Vanek Smith dig into new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's argument for a quieter, less transparen

Aug 29
1 h 02 min

Why the BLS Guardrails Held — and the Census Bureau's Failed | The Professor Is In

In this episode of the Professor Is In, Justin answers your questions from his earlier episode debunking the Census Bureau’s claim that 24,000 noncitizens voted in the 20

Aug 28
27 min

How To Fake a Voting Scandal | Diving In

The Census Bureau just published a report claiming 24,000 noncitizens illegally voted in the 2020 election. In this episode of Diving In, Justin Wolfers takes the report

Aug 26
27 min

America Is Reusing Cuba’s Sanctions Strategy on Iran | Diving In

Do sanctions on Iran actually work? Sixty years of the Cuba embargo say probably not. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent just announced what he's calling an "economic D-Da

Aug 24
16 min

The Economics of Feeling Ripped Off | The Professor Is In

Politicians keep promising to bring prices down. In this episode of The Professor Is In, Justin Wolfers explains why that's a terrible idea — and why it's not the same th

Aug 22
29 min

What the Heck is Going On In the Bond Market? | Diving In

Bond yields have jumped from a little over 1% just after COVID to more than 5%, and Justin Wolfers walks you through why that matters at your kitchen table. The short ver

Aug 19
18 min

What the $20 Burrito Debate Gets Wrong About Affordability | Diving In

A college student said a burrito shouldn't cost $20, and suddenly everyone seemed to be arguing about affordability. In this latest installment of Diving In, Justin Wolfe

Aug 19
18 min

How Lab-Grown Diamonds Broke the Market | Off the Clock

Justin Wolfers and Bloomberg's Stacey Vanek Smith pick through a week of confusing economic news on the latest episode of Off the Clock. First up, inflation. Inflation

Aug 15
1 h 03 min

If AI Does Your Job, Who Gets Paid? | The Professor Is In

Justin Wolfers sits down for The Professor Is In to answer your follow-up questions about labor's declining share of income — the reason a soaring market can coexist with

Aug 14
24 min

No, the K-shaped Economy Isn't Over | Diving In

The stock market keeps breaking records, but your paycheck doesn't feel like it. In this episode of Diving In, Justin Wolfers explains that disconnect with one number: la

Aug 13
20 min

Inflation Is Still High. Just As We Thought. | Diving In

The newest inflation report is out, and Justin Wolfers walks you through what actually matters. Annual inflation is running at 3.4% — well above what the Fed wants, and h

Aug 12
11 min

AI's Biggest Problem May Be Its Pace | The Professor Is In

In this bonus-sized episode of The Professor Is In, Justin Wolfers uses a strange, wonderful case study — the collapse of artisanal bootmaking in 1850s England — to think

Aug 8
35 min

The July Jobs Report Should Worry You | Diving In

The July jobs report just dropped, and it's time to worry. Markets expected around 80,000 new jobs — instead, the economy lost 23,000, and revisions to the prior two mont

Aug 7
17 min

How Early Access to Trump’s Truths Will Drain Ordinary Investors | Diving In

Justin unpacks the new $100,000-a-year Truth Social API—a special "pipe" that will allow the president's posts to hit Wall Street computers a second or so before the rest

Aug 6
10 min

What Victorian Bootmakers Can Teach Us About The Future of Work | Diving In

When the CEO of Anthropic warns AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs, it's easy to picture the destruction. Justin Wolfers wants you to picture the

Aug 5
13 min

Economics Is Not a Subject — It's a Toolkit | Economics Matters

This is a conversation between Justin and Larry Kotlikoff, fellow economist and host of the Economics Matters podcast. And it was a fun one, in which Larry encouraged Jus

Aug 4
1 h 10 min

Chart positions

Where Platypus Economics with Justin Wolfers ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 5, 2026).

#1 — Courses US

#73 ▼ 12 Education US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Justin Wolfers is the Carl Sagan of economic communicators. He has a singular ability to explain complex economic concepts in terms that are relatable to everyone.

CCI_Grampaw · Aug 2026

I honestly love Justin Wolfers, when I see/hear him interviewed by others he is engaging and a wonderful teacher; sometimes I listen to his segments again because he can explain things with such technical, and refreshingly moral, clarity. But this podcast has not found its footing. Strangely, it's as if I can't "hear" him - the rhythms are way off - someone is editing out the natural rhythms of human speech - don't do that, please! Spoken English has powerful rhythms of stress and phrasing, essential for clarity of expression, and also human beings, dontcha know, take breaths at appropriate phrase breaks while they're speaking. Sometimes I find my self gasping, as my whole body can feel that the editing has turned Justin into a robot that doesn't breathe, so I subconsciously try to breathe for him! It also makes the thoughts and builds of arguments unintelligible. A skilled editor would not allow that to happen. Similarly, when you start a commercial in the middle of a conversation with nary a knife's blade between, you've again disrupted the flow of thought, in such a destructive way it will make us 1) forget what was being said, 2) loathe the sponsor of the obnoxiously interrupting message, thereby negating the point of the ad, and 3) generally irritate and cause resentment and frustration in your listeners - who want to hear what you have to say, and don't want to be punished for trying to do so! Also, please, don't put anyone in front of a mic if they don't have decent voice/speech and a basic level of poise. Megan's speech (articulation) is fine, but she really needs voice (sound, resonance) training. The amount of tension in her throat makes her sound harshly pinched and lacking authority, plus she has the too-common profusion of "like"s and upglides and generally sounds embarrassed to speak. She also probably needs a better mic & mixing. Look, I know you're on a shoestring, I'm not talking a fancy studio - just needs a level of professionalism, thoughtfulness and some standards; a good producer would help. For me, I've tried, because I respect Justin so much. But this has been a hard to listen, every episode, and I'm not sure I will stay with it.

Stilph · Jul 2026

I’ve heard Justin before and am glad he is back to podcasting. He has great insight and a talent for easily communicating complex ideas and information.

Denunzi0 · May 2026

Professor Justin Wolfers explains complex economic topics in such clear terms I can finally a) understand them and b) see how they impact my daily life. Great show!

amazing!!!!!$$! · May 2026

These are 2 very highly regarded economists but this podcast is just a flop. Dull and basic, it’s almost as if they are reciting an old econ textbook for children. The moderator Nes doesn’t add much value to the conversation. If you want engaged, insightful, nuanced dialogue on econ and society, listen to the Freakononics podcast.

APhysicist · Dec 2020

Very informative, but way too many advertisements.

Buntu · Mar 2021

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.