Employment Outlook (from Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Economists and market and survey researchers held about 134,000 jobs in 2000. Private industry provide about 9 out of 10 jobs for salaried workers, particularly economic and marketing research firms, management consulting firms, banks, securities and commodities brokers, and computer and data processing companies. The United States Departments of Labor, Agriculture, and Commerce are the largest Federal employers of economists. Employment of economists and market and survey researchers continues to be concentrated in large cities.

Employment of economists and market and survey researchers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2010. Many job openings are likely to result from the need to replace experienced workers who transfer to other occupation, retire, or leave the labor force for other reasons. Employment growth of economists is expected to be as fast as average of the projection period, while growth for market research analysts and survey researchers is expected to be faster than average.