The Indicator from Planet Money Pay transparency. The WhatsApp and Instagram decision. Our beef with screwworms.
50 snips
Nov 21, 2025 
Nick Fountain, a keen observer of economic trends, dives into the multifaceted impacts of pay transparency, revealing it can boost wages by 2.5% on average. He also discusses a fascinating research experiment where participants were paid to reduce social media usage, shedding light on consumer behavior. The conversation shifts to the alarming rise in beef prices due to screw worm flies, detailing a historical eradication effort and current containment strategies to protect cattle. Nick's insights highlight the intricate connections between economics, agriculture, and technology.
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Small Lift From Pay Transparency
- Pay-transparency laws increased wages by about 2.5% on average in the studied states.
- Economists worry transparency could also facilitate tacit wage coordination that limits competition for workers.
Transparency Cuts Both Ways
- Transparency can both expose low pay and allow firms to align on wages, creating opposing effects.
- The net effect depends on which force dominates, so results require careful empirical study.
Field Study: $4 An Hour To Cut Social Time
- John List ran a field experiment paying participants $4 per hour to use Facebook and Instagram less.
- Paid users shifted time to rivals like YouTube and TikTok, which Meta used to argue it faces competition.