A social scientist who studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
What economists do
Economists model how households, firms, and governments make decisions, then apply those models to questions of inflation, employment, trade, taxation, and market design. They write working papers, brief policymakers, and forecast key macroeconomic indicators.
Training path
A master’s degree opens many policy and applied roles; research and senior staff positions typically require a PhD in economics. Top federal positions, including at the Federal Reserve and Council of Economic Advisers, are dominated by PhDs.
Work setting
Major employers include the Federal Reserve System, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the World Bank, the IMF, major investment banks, technology companies, universities, and think tanks such as Brookings, AEI, and the Urban Institute.
Find more professions by letter
Economist starts with E and ends with T. Browse other professions along the same letter.
Professions that contain a letter from "Economist":