Economic Opportunities in D.C.

Washington, D.C., is home to dozens of economic consulting firms, think tanks, research and policy institutions, financial institutions and businesses that offer networking opportunities and internships to students.

 

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Our Unique Location

 

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External Job Search Tools

Applied economists work in a wide range of positions and sectors. When job searching, be open to non-academic positions, including government, banking and finance, business, consulting and research. The databases and tools listed on this page can assist in your search for careers and internships.

Economics and Finance

Explore these websites and databases for career search ideas, and explore their websites for related resources you can sign up for, like newsletters and networking events.

• A Guide and Advice for Economics on the U.S. Junior Academic Job Market (PDF)
• American Economics Association Careers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
• Inter-American Development Bank Careers
• International Monetary Fund Careers
• Job Openings for Economists
• National Association for Business Economists
• National Bureau of Economic Research
• Social Science Research Network
• USA.gov
• World Bank Group and subentities:
  • International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
  • International Development Association (IDA)
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC)
  • Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
  • International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) 

Government Entities

Many applied economists work for government agencies and branches. Explore open positions on USA.gov, or narrow your search by branch or agency type.

Executive Branch

• White House
  • Economic Briefing Room
• Department of Commerce
  • Bureau of Economic Analysis
  • Census Bureau
• Department of Labor
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics and its Monthly Labor Review Online.
  • Women's Bureau
• Department of the Treasury and its Treasury Bulletin.
  • Social Security Administration

Legislative Branch

• House of Representatives
  • Committee on Ways and Means
  • Joint Economic Committee (Majority)
• Senate
• Congressional Budget Office
• General Accounting Office 
• Library of Congress
  • Congress.gov

Agencies

• Central Intelligence Agency
  • The World Factbook
• Federal Reserve System
  • Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
  • Fed In Print
  • Beige Book (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System)
• Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology

Consulting Firms 

Some applied economists choose to apply their experience to consulting. Explore the career pages of the firms listed on this page.

Management Consulting

• McKinsey & Company
• PriceWaterhouseCoopers
• EY
• KPMG
• Deloitte
• Boston Consulting Group
• Bain & Company
• Accenture
• Charles River Associates
• BearingPoint

Economic Consulting

• NERA Economic Consulting
• Boston Research Group
• Bates White Economic Consulting
• IHS Global Insight
• JP Morgan Chase Institute
• The Brattle Group
• Econometrica
• Economic Consulting Services
• Analysis Group
• Compass Lexecon

Research Institutes, Think Tanks and Associations

Washington, D.C., is the center of economic policy analysis, and there are numerous think tanks and research institutions where you can apply your skills.

D.C. Area

• American Enterprise Institute
• Aspen Institute
• Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
• The Brookings Institution’s Economics Studies program
• Cato Institute
• Center for American Progress
• Center for Law and Social Policy
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Congressional Budget Office
• Economic Policy Institute
• Heritage Foundation
• Independent Sector
• Peterson Institute for International Economics
• Job Openings for Economists
• Library of Congress
• Mathematica Policy Research 
• National Association of State Budget Officers
• New America Foundation
• Peterson Institute for International Economics
• Resources for the Future
• Tax Foundation
• Tax Policy Center
• The Urban Institute

Outside D.C.

• American Economic Association
• Eastern Economic Association
• Econometric Society
• Environmental Defense Fund
• Mathematica Policy Research
• RAND Corporation
• List of home pages for all Economics Departments
• List of home pages for U.S. Economics Departments

Journals, Publications and Data Sets

• Federal Reserve Bank of New York Publications
• Treasury Bulletin
• County Business Patterns
• Demographic and Health Surveys 
• Health and Retirement Study/Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
• The National Bureau of Economic Research Data Archive.
• Panel Study of Income Dynamics 
• The World Bank Group -- Data and Statistics by Country.
• USAID Demographic and Health Surveys
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Monthly Labor Review
• U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns
• U.S. Census Bureau MDAT (previously DataFerrett)
• U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau
• White House Economic Briefings and Statements

Nonprofit and Other Resources

• The Better Business Bureau 
• The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
• National Bureau of Economic Research
• Panel Study of Income Dynamics (longitudinal survey)
• Population Reference Bureau
• Dr. T's Econ Links
• Health and Retirement Study/Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old 
• Nobel Prize in Economic Science Winners
• The World Bank Group Data and Statistics by Country