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Economics as a Career

Economics is one of the most popular college majors in the country. This is because so much of what we do, the decisions we face, and the issues we confront involve economics.

Each chapter in this book includes a By the Numbers box. It has two purposes. First, items in the feature preview some of the topics covered in the chapter. We hope these topics motivate you to read on. Second, the data explosion affecting our understanding of the world will only continue to accelerate. Numerical literacy will grow in importance. This By the Numbers box seeks to encourage a nonthreatening familiarity with data and numbers. At the end of each chapter, there are two Using the Numbers questions to test how well you understood the numbers.

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Business majors represented the largest number of college graduates in terms of the total number of bachelor’s degrees granted in 2014. Economics majors represented the sixth most popular degree granted.

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The average pay by major as reported on payscale.com in March 2016, provides an indication of the demand and prospects for economics majors.

The By the Numbers—Do It Yourself! Lab Activity gives you the opportunity to explore this data in greater depth.

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What do economists do? Common jobs held by economists with bachelor’s degrees and their median salaries.

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