Economics

To find out where you can study this subject post-18 go to https://www.unifrog.org/student/universities/start and complete some simple questions to find out which universities offer this course and different ways you can study.

Economics reading list:

Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth-a great critique of standard economic thinking

The Great Divide by Professor Joseph Stiglitz

GDP: A brief but affectionate history by Professor Diane Coyle-on the GDP/well-being debate

Growth Delusion by David Pilling-measuring living standards and well being in a different way

A World of Three Zeroes" by Muhhamad Yunus - the ways in which micro-finance can shape social entrepreneurship in tackling poverty and climate change.

Almighty dollar by Dharshini David-follows the journey of a single $ to show how the global economy works

Great Economists: How their ideas can help us today by Linda Yueh-perspectives on contemporary issues

Choice Factory by Richard Shotton-a story of 25 behavioural biases that influence what we buy

Capitalism without capital: The rise of the intangible economy by Haskel and Westlake-the growth to prominence of the intangible economy

Upstarts: How Uber and Airbnb are changing the world by Brad Stone

Poor Economics: Rethinking ways to fight global poverty by Banerjee and Dufflo-development economics

Misbehaving: The making of behavioural economics by Richard Thaler-an excellent biography

Economics for the common good by Jean Tirole (noble prize winner) -applied micro

Plundering planet: How to reconcile prosperity with nature by Professor Paul Collier-a development classic

Inequality by Anthony Atkinson-an excellent book on one of the defining issues of the day

Podcasts:

Trade Talks

Pitch Folk Economics

Freakanomics Radio

The Debunking Economics

Weekly Economics podcast

A-Level Economics

Economics at Horsforth School

Year 12

Students engage in learning about how the economy works; in particular they investigate the nature and use of government policy-monetary, fiscal and supply side. This is discussed in the context of the work of an Economist and Policy Analyst. An example of this is a member of the Monetary Policy Committee.

Furthermore students investigate the use of indirect taxes and subsides which relate to the work of Management Accountants. Externalities are considered which closely links to the work of Economic Consultants on projects such as the third runway at Heathrow and HS2.

Year 13

In the 2nd year students examine costs, revenue and profit is far more detail. This relates to the work of a Management Accountant. They also look at different market structures such as natural monopolies and oligopolies. The monitoring of such behaviour relates closely to the work of Government Regulators. Labour markets are also examined and this relates to the work of Trade Unionists, Human Resource Specialists and Civil Servants. Trade and Development Economics are an important part of the syllabus and link with the work of Development Economists, NGO’s and Currency Traders. The final a module relates the Financial Sector which is closely linked to carers within the Banking Sector.

Careers in Economics

An economics degree can open you up to a wide range of career options such as finance, accountancy and government policy. Economics is also considered an excellent degree to have for a wide range of skills such as:

communication - presenting findings and explaining complex data
numeracy - handling complex data and applying mathematical and statistical analysis methods
problem solving - extracting information, drawing conclusions and making recommendations
computing - using specialised software
time management - completing specific tasks within designated time frames
analytical skills - analysing research methods, data, conclusions and recommendations.

Job options

Jobs directly related to an Economics degree include:

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

Typical employers

Economists are employed in a variety of settings in both the public and private sectors.

The largest employer of economists is the Civil Service through the GES. Government Economic Service - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Bank of England also provides vacancies through its graduate development programme.

Economics graduates also find employment in areas such as:

banks (high street and city)
charitable and not-for-profit organisations
consultancies
insurance and accountancy firms
government departments and think tanks.

Follow the links to see the case studies of some jobs that relate to Economics.

Data analyst: Elisabeth Quayle | Prospects.ac.uk

Assistant economist: Kitty McCarthy | Prospects.ac.uk

Some universities have scholarships such as this one at UCL

Sources of Funding | UCL Department of Economics - UCL – University College London

Further study

You may choose to continue studying economics at a higher level, either for personal interest or to help with entry into a particular career. You could choose to specialise within a certain area of economics, such as health, agriculture or regional economic development.

Postgraduate study can also be used as a means to change career focus or to gain professional qualifications required to practise in certain career areas, such as accountancy.

What do economics graduates do?

The top five jobs held by economics graduates in employment in the UK are related to business, finance and marketing, with finance and investment analysts and advisers accounting for 17% of jobs. This is also true for nine of the top ten jobs held.

Type of work

Percentage

Business, HR and finance

59.8

Secretarial and numerical clerks

9.9

Marketing, PR and sales

8.6

Information technology

5.6

Other

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