Graduates in economics have chosen a wide variety of career paths.
Honours students typically choose to pursue postgraduate study in economics, international relations, or law. Postgraduate work in business administration, education, planning, or public administration/public policy are also popular options.
Our graduates have gone on to do graduate work — both at the MA and PhD level — at all of Canada's top graduate programs as well as at the London School of Economics, University of California at Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, and Toulouse School of Economics.
Others opt to move directly into the labour force.
Recent graduates have been employed by:
- The Bank of Canada
- The Competition Bureau
- Various government departments including Health Canada, Industry Canada, Statistics Canada, and the New Brunswick Department of Finance
- Deloitte Inc.
- J.P. Morgan Chase (New York)
- Atlantic Lottery Corporation
- Petro-Canada
- Various Canadian chartered banks
Job outlook
The job outlook for economists is generally seen as good, particularly for those with an honours or master's degree.
Jobs will probably continue to be available at all education levels, but many job market counsellors feel that a person with a master's degree in economics will have little difficulty finding a job.
Mount Allison Career Services
Mount Allison University has a career services co-ordinator who offers a wide variety of services to students and to potential employers of students.
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Career options
It is difficult to find any significant public policy issue for which economic considerations would be irrelevant. Private business also uses economic analysis in developing economic forecasts, analyzing market conditions, developing pricing strategies, and formulating positions on public policy.
An understanding of basic principles of economics and an ability to apply these principles using standard analytic tools provides valuable insight into important personal and societal issues. Economic issues must be considered in order to have an adequate understanding of such important issues as environmental, trade and regulatory policy.
Business
Economic analysis is an essential part of planning and problem solving in business. Business economists play an important role in all major industries. Economists understand the impact business cycles, government policies, and international developments can have on companies. They evaluate and interpret these factors and the influence they will have on consumer demand, prices, costs, the competition, financial conditions and other matters.
Government
Provincial governments and the federal government employ economists to collect and analyze data and calculate the consequences of various policy proposals. Economists also monitor the effects of policy under changing conditions. Local governments also find economic analysis an essential part of their decision-making and either have economists on staff or use economic consultants.
Non-profit sector
Non-profit organizations including social policy and environmental groups, organizations working in developing countries, the Canadian Labour Congress, and labour unions all require the expertise of professional economists.
Economists working for such groups are expected to analyze issues and to write about them in a non-technical way, which can be understood both by the average citizen and by elected lawmakers and government bureaucrats responsible for making and implementing policy.