What Do Economists Actually Do?

The wide range of jobs economists do, from forecasting and policy advice to research, data analysis and business strategy.

Economists study how people, businesses and governments make choices with limited resources. But what do they do at work?

Common roles

Policy advisers: analysing the effects of taxes, subsidies or regulations for governments.
Central bank economists: forecasting inflation and growth, and advising on interest rates.
Researchers: studying questions like poverty, education or trade in universities and think tanks.
Business economists: forecasting demand, analysing markets and advising on pricing and strategy.
Financial analysts: assessing companies, industries and economies for investors.
Data scientists: using economic reasoning and statistics to analyse large datasets.
Development economists: designing and evaluating programmes in NGOs and international organisations.
Journalists and communicators: explaining economics to the public.

Everyday tasks

Collecting and analysing data.
Building models and forecasts.
Writing reports and briefs.
Presenting findings to decision-makers.

Skills economists use

Analytical thinking.
Statistics and data analysis.
Clear writing and communication.
Understanding institutions and real-world context.

Accessibility

Economics careers rely heavily on reading, analysis and writing, which can be well suited to people who use assistive technology, such as screen readers, especially as data tools become more accessible.

The policy question

A state government wants to know whether free bus travel for women would help. An economist studies ridership data, costs and research from other cities, then writes a brief estimating benefits and budget impact.

Thinking economists only predict the stock market

Economists work in policy, research, business, finance, data and development.

Key takeaways

Economists work in policy, central banks, research, business, finance and development.
Daily tasks include data analysis, modelling and writing.
Key skills are analysis, statistics and communication.
Economics careers can suit people using assistive technology.