Christina Hache, a labour market economist with Service Canada, says the image of economists as dull number crunchers who spend their days confined to cubicles is all wrong. She said the best economists are good storytellers. (TED PRITCHARD / Staff)

CHRISTINA HACHE dropped out of high school, at least in part because she didn't have a clear idea of the employment options available to her.

She still regrets the wasted years in Cheticamp bouncing from low-paying retail jobs to low-skill jobs in restaurants, but she takes comfort in the fact she mustered up the courage to return to school and has spent the last 15 years creating the kind of employment information that will spare other young people from a similar fate.

Hache is a labour market economist and works with a 15-member team within Service Canada to create and publish reports and trends that enable people to find meaningful employment. She has climbed through the department from junior labour market economist to her recent appointment as regional manager.

"After getting my GED, I went to Mount Saint Vincent, where I took a broad range of courses to see if I could find something I really liked. One of the courses was economics and I was quite taken with the concept of supply and demand. It clicked with me."

She said anyone interested in a career as an economist has to enjoy statistics and analyzing data, but it is equally helpful to be a good communicator.

"You have to be a bit of a storyteller. You have to be able to go out and meet with people and be able to communicate what the numbers mean from beginning to end in an interesting way. People aren't interested in black and whites. You have to be able to shade things a little."

Economists are used in a broad range of fields ranging from development to international finance, so she said there is opportunity for people willing to travel to find economic policy research work in almost any area that interests them.

Do you want to learn more about a career as an economist? Read on.

NATURE OF THE WORK
Economists and economic policy researchers provide consultation and advice to government and business on economic behaviour and patterns. They conduct research, analyze data and information, provide forecasts on market potential and economic trends, develop reports and provide advice in a wide variety of areas related to economics. They may advise governments and government agencies on policies to enhance economic activities, and conduct research on market conditions to set sales and pricing for goods and services produced by businesses.

SKILLS
You should be organized, resourceful and able to co-operate with others in a team. You must be able to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing. An interest in research and familiarity with computers is key. Advanced computer and technical skills for data manipulation and statistical analysis may be required in some positions.

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS
A master.s degree in economics or in a related discipline such as business administration or statistics is the usual requirement. A master's degree coupled with a strong background in economic theory, mathematics, statistics and econometrics provides the basis for acquiring any specialty within the economics field.

Some positions may require a PhD in economics.

WORK PROSPECTS
Economists and economic policy researchers and analysts are employed by governments, private industry, universities and consulting firms. In Nova Scotia, the small number of big employers means limited job opportunities. Most positions are located in Halifax and public administration is the most common field of employment. Employment opportunities are greater in Ottawa for federal positions, or in a large urban centre such as Toronto or Vancouver, where there are more consulting firms and universities to provide employment. Economists with a PhD should be in particular demand by governments, universities and consulting firms.

LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION