Job Market for Economists in the US

A big part of ASSA Annual Meeting (check out our post on 2012 ASSA Annual Meeting held in Chicago) is the role that it plays in the life of a PhD economist searching for their first job. Although some graduates choose less conventional ways of approaching the Job Market, for most graduating PhDs, the meeting is where they meet with potential employers, strut their stuff, present their Job Market Papers (JMP) and hope to the high heavens for a fly-out, and, after that, an offer – preferably at their number one choice. If all goes well this process should be over by early March with a good majority of top 50 schools’ graduates having at least one job offer on the table.

his being said, only so many graduates get jobs in this first round and only so many positions get filled. With the number of potential applicants and the number of positions that are trying to be filled, not to mention the level of competition that builds throughout the entire process, by the middle of March there are inevitably people without jobs and vacancies still without the right person to fill them.

The process that follows is known affectionately as the ‘Job Market Scramble’ or ‘secondary job market.’ This functions as a miniature version of the traditional Job Market and takes place yearly at the end of March/beginning of April to match those PhDs still on the market and positions yet to be filled. As to be expected in this highly structured system, pay close attention to the following dates if you want to be involved in the Job Scramble:

Sign up online: March 21-28, 2012
Visit Scramble Website (only open to registered users): March 30 – April 10
Ends: April 11

For a first hand account check out Noah Smith’s blog post on his experience in the Job Market.

Photo Credit: digitalpimp.