For more information about those workers, see the Market Research Analysts specialty. Many economists work for government agencies. Some of them study the economies of the United States or other countries. Their goal is to figure out how changes in laws will affect the economy. They may study how changes in foreign economies will affect the United States.
Economists work in almost every area of government.
Most work in the areas of agriculture, labor, or quantitative analysis. Economists in the U.S. Department of Commerce study what goods are being made, how they are sent out, and how they are used. Economists employed with the Bureau of Labor Statistics look at prices, wages, employment, safety, and health. Economists who work in state or local government might study data on trade and commerce and industrial growth. Employment trends is another area government economists might study in detail.