What You'll Do

  • Study economic and statistical data in area of specialization, such as finance, labor, or agriculture.
  • Provide advice and consultation on economic relationships to businesses, public and private agencies, and other employers.
  • Compile, analyze, and report data to explain economic phenomena and forecast market trends, applying mathematical models and statistical techniques.
  • Formulate recommendations, policies, or plans to solve economic problems or to interpret markets.
  • Develop economic guidelines and standards, and prepare points of view used in forecasting trends and formulating economic policy.
  • Testify at regulatory or legislative hearings concerning the estimated effects of changes in legislation or public policy, and present recommendations based on cost-benefit analyses.
  • Supervise research projects and students' study projects.
  • Forecast production and consumption of renewable resources and supply, consumption, and depletion of non-renewable resources.
  • Teach theories, principles, and methods of economics.
  • Provide litigation support, such as writing reports for expert testimony or testifying as an expert witness.

Essential Skills

Reading Comprehension 4.12/5
Mathematics 4.12/5
Critical Thinking 4.12/5
Active Listening 4.0/5
Writing 4.0/5
Speaking 4.0/5
Judgment and Decision Making 4.0/5
Active Learning 3.75/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.75/5
Instructing 3.25/5
Systems Evaluation 3.25/5
Learning Strategies 3.12/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.

Common styles

Intellectual Curiosity, Attention to Detail, Achievement Orientation, Dependability, Integrity

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Written Comprehension 4.12/5
Inductive Reasoning 4.12/5
Mathematical Reasoning 4.12/5
Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Oral Expression 4.0/5
Written Expression 4.0/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.0/5
Speech Clarity 4.0/5

Technologies & Tools

Aptech Systems GAUSS C++ Camfit Data Limited Microfit Corel QuattroPro Corel WordPerfect Office Suite Econometric Software LIMDEP ESRI ArcView Estima Regression Analysis of Time Series RATS Estimates Delivery System EDS Formula translation/translator FORTRAN Global Insight AREMOS IBM Lotus 1-2-3 IBM SPSS Statistics Insightful S-PLUS LaTeX MacKichan Software Scientific Notebook Maplesoft Maple Mathsoft Mathcad MediaWiki Microsoft Access

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Intellectual Curiosity (High importance: 5.0/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.69/5)
  • Achievement Orientation (High importance: 4.45/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.43/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.42/5)

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How to Become One

This career requires extensive preparation, typically including a graduate degree (Master's or Doctoral) and several years of experience. Most professionals in this field have invested significant time in education and training.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Agricultural Economist Business Economist Consultant Economist Econometrician Economic Advisor Economic Analyst Economic Consultant Economic Developer Economic Development Manager Economic Development Specialist Economic Research Analyst Economic Specialist Economist Environmental Economist Financial Economist Fiscal Economist Forecast Analyst Forensic Economist Forest Economist Health Economics Consultant Health Economist Healthcare Economics Analyst Healthcare Economics Consultant Home Economist Industrial Economist International Trade Specialist Labor Economist Medical Economics Analyst Medical Economics Consultant Policy Advisor Policy Officer Price Economist Project Economist Research Analyst Research Economist Revenue Research Analyst Social Economist Tax Economist Trade Economist

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.