US Economist Job Market Hits Slump

Here's something worth noting: job openings for economists tanked -21% year-over-year in December 2025, landing at roughly 1,773 positions. That's the lowest count since at least 2019.

This isn't a one-off either. We're now looking at the 3rd straight year of decline in this sector. The downturn's hitting across the board too—no industry is immune. Full-time academic roles, think tanks, government agencies, private sector economists—everybody's tightening their belts.

What does this signal? A cooling labor market and potential economic headwinds ahead. When demand for economists drops this sharply, it usually reflects broader uncertainty about growth trajectories. For those tracking macro trends and asset cycles, this kind of labor market weakness tends to precede shifts in broader economic policy and market sentiment.