Organizations

There are many organizations for economists; below are a few notable ones. Other organizations focus on a particular subfield, such as labor economics, or serve a particular region.

Most organizations offer student discount memberships, which tend to be for a limited number of years. A student ID card usually needs to be submitted to get the discount.

American Economic Association

The American Economic Association (AEA) is North America's largest professional organization of economists. It is an umbrella organization that includes members of all specialties and perspectives. Anyone can join, and basic dues are low. Click here to learn more about member benefits.

The AEA also hosts Job Openings for Economists, a website for economics jobs. Some of the nonacademic job openings listed do not require an advanced degree.

National Association of Business Economists

The National Association of Business Economists (NABE) is an association of private-sector economists. Its members are mostly concerned with forecasting and the effects of government policies. Chapters in major cities host regular meetings and speakers. Many members have BA, MA, or MBA degrees rather than Ph.D. degrees.

Midwest Economics Association

The Midwest Economics Association (MEA)'s members primarily teach at colleges and universities in the Midwest. Every March, the MEA sponsors a three-day conference, often in Chicago. The meetings consist mainly of seminar sessions in which economists present their research.

Econometric Society

The Econometric Society (ES) is an international organization that includes economists from every continent except Antarctica. Its focus is "the advancement of economic theory in its relation to statistics and mathematics." Its members are primarily economic theorists or econometricians. ES publishes Econometrica, a prestigious but very technical journal.