Colleges churn out surplus of economics graduates

In 2021, there is a surplus of economists in as many as 10 out of 16 voivodeships – according to the Professions Barometer commissioned by the Ministry of Development, Labor and Technology. Travel agency workers, sociologists, philosophers, and political scientists may also have problems with finding a job. Personnel Service experts indicate that surplus occupations are a derivative of the popularity of humanities studies. According to the data of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, over 17,000 students chose economics in the 2019/2020 academic year.

- The Professions Barometer is an annual forecast of the situation in individual professions. The study combines quantitative data with a qualitative assessment of market experts, including employees of labor offices. Hence, it is a useful career planning tool. It shows certain gaps in the labor market or, on the contrary, professions in which it is extremely difficult to find a job. According to the definition, surplus occupations are those in which the number of vacancies is smaller than the number of people interested in taking up employment and meeting the requirements,” Krzysztof Inglot, president of Personnel Service and labor market expert, said.

It turns out that the economist is the most surplus profession in 2021. It was the only one to appear on the list in each of the provinces where such excess was found. Moreover, in the Podlaskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie, and Zachodniopomorskie voivodeships, an economist is the only surplus profession. According to Personnel Service experts, this does not mean, however, that economists have nothing to look for on the Polish labor market.

“Economics is a field of study that offers many possibilities. Graduates can find a job e.g. in accounting or bookkeeping. So it is not that every young economist will have difficulty finding a job. However, it should be emphasized that those young people who are not convinced that economics is the best choice should choose other directions. Currently, one of the best choices seems to include information technology, robotics, or medicine,” Krzysztof Inglot noted.

(WBJ)