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How many economists are there at Google, compared to other non-engineering professions at Google, say chefs, cleaners, doctors, physiotherapists, accountants, s
by jorangreef 11y ago
How many economists are there at Google, compared to other non-engineering professions at Google, say chefs, cleaners, doctors, physiotherapists, accountants, secretaries, barbers, lifeguards etc.?
"Athey says Microsoft is another company with “at least a dozen” economists on staff. She knows of nearly 100 economists employed by tech firms, the big majority joining after 2010."
A few dozen economists for a company the size of Microsoft or Google, and 100 across all the major firms seems few when you consider the myriad and quantity of other non-economic non-engineering staff these technology companies hire.
- bo1024 11y agoI think the point is not the absolute size of the number (would you expect PhD economists to be comparable in number to most other professions you mentioned?), but the recent hiring trend. I think it's interesting for a few reasons. One is that tech companies have a bit of a historical tendency to make economics decisions without much input from economists. Another is the notable big exceptions such as Varian at Google and the generalized second price ad auction. A final one is the interaction between econ and CS in terms of methods, viewpoints, priorities, decisions. (Disclaimer: I've collaborated with economists and computer scientists at both companies you mention.)