Category Archives: Economics

The insurance industry is an integral aspect of the World Economy, but is currently not reaching a significant portion of the population. Buying insurance for your Chevy Malibu, or health insurance for your family have become things most of us do naturally. The word “insurance,” however, has little meaning in a country that may be functioning with an underdeveloped economy. Why is this? Well it would appear that those who provide these services (any insurance provider that you see in the commercials every day) have not seen the financial incentive to provide insurance in these areas, and therefore have not invested in the Continue reading Movement to Micro→

To open a fresh blog season — and to put astronomical textbook costs into context– I thought it would be fun to scrutinize ALL the money in the world. Or at least sharing the work of someone else who did. Randall Munroe, author of popular webcomic XKCD, has embarked upon two fascinating examinations of this concept. In the first, which you can click here to access, he compares the scale of a staggering variety of expenditures in a highly visual and intuitive manner. Included in the packed infographic: side-by-side comparison of the marginal cost to launch the space shuttle, the Continue reading All the Money in the World→

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!→

In recent data released by the U.S. Census, it was found that college enrollment was at its lowest rate since the recession hit in 2007. The graph points out that college enrollment often rises during recessions. I found this to be very interesting. When a recession hits, and unemployment rises, and consumption falls. I would have thought that college enrollment would fall as well. But that isn’t the case. What we see occurring is in fact the opposite. During the first 2-3 years of our recession, we see college enrollment on a steady climb, and when our economy slowly started Continue reading Changes in College Enrollment→