Everyday economics from the University of Puget Sound
As our bloggers take a well-deserved Spring Break, I’m sharing a new feature on the blog. Our Photo Gallery will be the home for pictures of campus events involving economics students. So, check it out, leave a comment or two, and enjoy!
This past Friday, the BLS released its monthly jobs report: unemployment rate down to 5.5%, and 295K jobs added in the month of February. The details of the report are here. Policy makers look to the employment numbers to gain insight regarding economic trends: are more people seeking work? Are more businesses hiring? Tracking these trends can better inform economic policy making. However, in a recent WSJ Op-Ed, Daniel Quinn Mills, a professor of business administration at Harvard took issue with how the BLS data are reported. Employment data is often impacted by seasonally-recurring phenomena. For example, the 295K “jobs added” figure Continue reading Seasonal Incompetence Disorder
In case you’ve lived under a rock over the summer, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has been a campaign to encourage donation to the ALS Association, an organization that provides support to those afflicted by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised an enormous amount of money, and has many people talking about the economic principles behind donation – whether they realize it or not. First, Vox helped to dispel the notion that people shouldn’t participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge because it’s a waste of water. In fact, compared to productive activities which use water, the ice Continue reading The Economics of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Sean King, a University of Puget Sound alumnus, will be hosting a Teach for America event on the Puget Sound campus on September 23rd (more details to come). Additionally, there is an approaching application deadline for the next group of Teach for America applications. Please send any questions to Sean; his e-mail is linked below. APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, September 12 Start your application: www.teachforamerica.org/apply Connect with a former corps member about their experience – SIGN UP HERE Connect with the Gonzaga TFA recruitment manager (Sean Rice) to answer any questions you have about the program and application process –Sean.Rice@teachforamerica.org Teach For America Continue reading Opportunity: Teach for America
Quantum, a data management firm located in Bellevue, WA, is looking for a financial analyst: We are looking for a motivated individual with strong analytical skills and a high level of business acumen to join our Corporate Finance Team as a Financial Analyst. The role is primarily responsible for obtaining, analyzing, and communicating worldwide revenue information to various layers of management including budget analysis, trend analysis, margin analysis, and ad-hoc analysis.Fundamental projects in this role include the development and progressive management of analytic tools, executive reports, key performance metrics, and financial models. The Analyst will work closely with functional teams to Continue reading Job announcement: Quantum seeks Financial Analyst
We are looking for several new contributors with an interest in economics to join the Sound Economics team this academic year. Underclassmen are particularly encouraged to join, as well as students at the introductory economics level. Any interested members should contact Professor Andrew Monaco (amonaco@pugetsound.edu), or attend our start of the semester Sound Economics Interest Meeting (details coming soon).
Attention recent UPS graduates! Tacoma Power is currently conducting a job search for a Senior Economist. Additional background on the job post is here. To apply, go to the City of Tacoma website here. I’d like to direct your attention to one section of the qualifications below (bold type is mine): Graduation from a college or university with a major in business, mathematics, economics, statistics, social sciences, engineering or similarly related field and at least five years’ experience performing economic, financial and/or market analysis. An advance degree (MA/MS) and two years’ experience in a relevant field may substitute. Candidates with a Continue reading Job announcement: TPU seeks Senior Economist
As we close out the semester here at the University of Puget Sound, I’d like to thank all those who have supported and contributed to Sound Economics in our inaugural year. Thank you to the Economics Department, the Office of Educational Technology, and the University for helping to make this effort happen. Most of all, I’d like to thank the contributors to the blog: our student writers- Collin, Matthew, Nick, Ricky, Holly, Morgan, Tom, and Jared- who worked tirelessly to produce thoughtful and sharp articles throughout the year; our faculty contributors; and, finally, our readers and commenters, who kept the Continue reading Thank you!
When someone thinks of economics, the concepts of “supply and demand” often spring to mind. But, it can be easy to misuse the terms. Take this article from The Dish discussing the factors influencing the price a woman could receive for her donated eggs, which features this reader’s submission (emphasis mine): I seriously considered donating my eggs as a way to pay off some grad school debt. I knew from the frequent ads in my undergrad newspaper (a prominent liberal arts school) that there is a high premium not just for the characteristics of being tall, slim, and with high Continue reading How NOT To Talk About Supply and Demand
Hi readers, There are several new economics student opportunities posted online, including: Mark Blaug Student Essay Prize: An undergraduate research prize. Click here for details. Developing Economist: A new journal which reviews and publishes outstanding undergraduate research. Click here for details. Warwick University Summer School 2014: A summer economics program located in Coventry, England, UK from July 21 – August 8 2014. Click here for details. Sound Economics hopes to continue to share these opportunities with its readers!