There are a variety of jobs and internships that are available for students pursuing a degree in economics.

“There is a wide range of career opportunities for economics majors,” said Terri Sexton, chair of the Economics Department.

Because of Sacramento State?s location in the state capitol, there are a large number of internships with State Government agencies available, Sexton said. There are also positions available in the private sector and with the federal and local governments.

“We generally have more internships open than we have students interested in filling them,” Sexton said.

There has been an increase in openings at energy firms in California, Sexton said. She attributes their increased need for economics majors to the recent deregulation of the industry.

State agencies seeking interns from Sac State include the California Energy Commission, Cal-Trans and the League of California Cities, an organization that is comprised of city officials from around the state. On the national level, the United States Department of Commerce and the U.S. General Accounting Office are hiring. Internships in the private sector include Hertz, American Express and Merrill Lynch.

Internships offered through the Economics Department are both paid and non-paid, with paid positions widely available, Sexton said.

“Econ majors are doing pretty well in the job market,” Sexton said.

According to Sexton, there is a wide variety jobs, with high starting salaries for students entering the market with a degree in economics.

“It?s really improved considerably in the last few years,” Sexton said.

According to David McVey, a career counselor at the Career Center, there is an assortment of paths for students in the major to take.

“The world of work isn?t organized like the majors on campus,” McVey said.

An economics major can go into a variety of jobs including market research specialist, market analyst, natural resource economist, money trader and sales representative.