Chief economist is a single-position job class having primary responsibility for the development, coordination, and production of

economic An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with th ...

and

financial Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of f ...

analysis. It is distinguished from the other

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

positions by the broader scope of responsibility encompassing the planning, supervision, and coordination of the economic research.

Synopsis

Chief economists work primarily in

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

s and

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

institutions. By the 2010s, the chief economist position was established at large internet companies such as

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

and

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washi ...

. Further, a trend began in data and financial services companies to utilize chief economists in customer- and media-facing roles to help in placing data in a larger economic context.

Government positions

In the European Union (EU), the post of Chief Economist (''aka'' Chief Competition Economist) was created in 2003 as part of the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

, reporting to the Director General for Competition. This role is primarily focused on advising around the application of EU competition rules and providing input to legal cases before the European Courts. In Kenya, ,A new Kenyan Constitution was ratified in 2010, likely significantly revising the roles and organization of the government. the role of chief economist was expressed as "Chief Economist/Statistician" and resided in the Ministry of Planning and National Development, one responsibility of which was to lead "a planning department or the Central Bureau of Statistics". In the United States government, there are several Offices of the Chief Economist for different departments. For instance, the Office of the Chief Economist within the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other na ...

was first staffed in March 2012 by Heidi Crebo-Rediker, and the Office of the Chief Economist within the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...

is led, , by Joseph W. Glauber. From 2014-2016, the Chief Economist for the U.S. State Department was Rodney D. Ludema. The Chief Economist as of January 20, 2019 to present is Dr.

Sharon Brown-Hruska Sharon Brown-Hruska is the former Acting Chairman and Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). She was designated as the Acting Chairman of the CFTC by President George W. Bush in 2004 and served in the role until 2005. She ...

. In Canada, the Office of the Chief Economist reports and advises on international trade and economic issues, including global, regional and sectoral trends and developments; and undertakes trade and economic research and analysis in support of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada's various functions: trade and investment policy, including negotiation of international agreements; international business development; and trade litigation. The post-holders are civil servants responsible to the

Minister of International Trade The Minister of International Trade Diversification () was a minister of the Crown position in the Cabinet of Canada, Canadian Cabinet who was responsible for the federal government's international trade portfolio. Along with the Minister of Fo ...

. Export Development Canada and

Business Development Canada Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit." Having a business name does not separat ...

both have Chief Economists too.

Synopsis

Government positions

See also

References

Notes

Further reading