Wake Forest Economics Department

Economics is about understanding the behavior of people. In particular, economics seeks to address how the world can be understood based on the incentives that various economic agents face. In practice, the study of economics involves using both conceptual and empirical tools to examine how people make choices. This theoretical and data work is, in turn, crucial in informing policymakers how to make their decisions.

Our majors gain strong quantitative skills through their courses and end up working in a vast array of professions: consulting, healthcare, banking, finance, pharmaceuticals, and real estate, to name a few, while others find careers in non-profit and public sectors. We also send our students to graduate school in law, business, economics, or public policy to name a few. 

Our majors also tend to have substantial earning power based on their economics degree. According to the Wall Street Journal’s “Degrees That Pay You Back” data, economics majors have the highest mid-career median salary of any non-engineering major.

So, please come visit us in the department and talk to our many faculty about your future major in economics!

NEWS

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  The cost of cold: New economics research links frozen crops to domestic violence
  Professor Leah Lakdawala and ECN Senior Major, Juan Londono are featured in new research exploring how extreme cold weather impacts families in agricultural communities. Using data from the Peruvian Andes, the study finds that severe cold shocks that destroy crops and livestock increase economic stress within households—conditions linked to a higher risk of domestic violence. […]
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  Economics Professor Featured in “Making Sense of the Economy” Lecture Series
  Professor Dr. John Dalton recently joined Matt Landon, CEO of Semmax Financial Group, for the Semmax Lecture Series conversation “Making Sense of the Economy.” In the discussion, Dalton shares insights on current economic trends and the forces shaping today’s economic outlook. Watch the conversation here:https://retire.semmax.com/making-sense-of-the-economy
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  Professor Aeimit Lakdawala Weighs In on U.S. Economic Growth Claims
  Professor Aeimit Lakdawala was recently in FactCheck.org analyzing claims about recent U.S. economic growth. Lakdawala noted that while the economy has continued to expand, the data do not support claims of unprecedented or record-breaking growth. He also emphasized that policy shifts — including tariffs — are unlikely to dramatically accelerate growth in the short run, […]

EVENTS