Chief economist

Chief economist is a single position job class having primary responsibility for the development, coordination, and production of economic and financial analysis. It is distinguished from the other economist positions by the broader scope of responsibility encompassing the planning, supervision, and coordination of the economic research.

Synopsis

The chief economist is a supervisory and leading class with substantial responsibility for the exercise of independent judgement in employing, disciplining, or adjudicating grievances of subordinates.

Chief economists work primarily in banks and government institutions. They are also common in economic research units from university departments; economics, business, and finance publications; and other research bodies in economics. By the 2010s, the chief economist position was established at large internet companies such as Google and Microsoft. 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.