ECONOMICS @Memorial
The Department of Economics at Memorial University is a leading organization in Atlantic Canada for impactful research, regional policy engagement and excellence in undergraduate and graduate learning.
Our slogan is Real World Skills. It reflects our commitment to training you with the skills needed to succeed in your career.
Read our alumni testimonials to hear from former undergraduate and graduate students about how their time in our department helped shape their personal and professional journeys.
Latest News
Local Hiring Blitz
June 1, 2026
Dr. Lynn Gambin, Associate Professor and Head, was a guest on CBC's St. John's Morning Show with Jen White. The topic of discussion was whether the Tim Hortons local hiring blitz will help our economy.
Tim Hortons has committed to filling ten thousand local jobs and relying less on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
"I do think there's a little bit of public discussion around the use of temporary foreign workers, especially when we see higher rates of unemployment among youth. I would caution against thinking there's a causal link between those two outcomes because there are multiple factors that affect both of those."
Listen to the full interview here.
Remote Work Intensity and Wages in Canada
June 1, 2026
We are pleased to share a new release in the Memorial Economics Working Paper Series from Dr. Tony Fang, Professor and Stephen Jarislowsky Chair, titled "Remote Work Intensity and Wages: Evidence from a Representative Canadian Labour Force Survey."
The paper examines how remote work intensity relates to wages in Canada and offers timely evidence on an issue that continues to shape workplaces across the country. The research was recently featured in HR Reporter, which highlighted one of the paper’s key findings: while remote work can offer flexibility, “too much of a good thing” may come with wage trade-offs—particularly for some workers earlier in their careers.
Our new Working Paper Series provides faculty members with a forum for early dissemination of ongoing research. We also release winning papers of the Economics Society undergraduate and graduate "Best Paper" competitions and other notable student essays.
Read Dr. Fang’s new paper and past releases from faculty and students here.
Congratulations, Juairya!
June 1, 2026
Congratulations to Juairya Abdullah on graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and on beginning a new full-time permanent role as Pension Administrator with Provident10.
Juairya shared that her time in the Department of Economics challenged her in the best ways and helped shape how she thinks critically about the world around her. Alongside working hard throughout her degree, she also contributed as a research assistant and valued the opportunity to learn from supportive faculty members along the way.
We are delighted to celebrate this exciting milestone and wish Juairya every success in her new role at Provident10.
Congratulations, Jake!
June 1, 2026
Congratulations to Jake Clarke on receiving a Memorial University Medal for Academic Excellence. Jake graduates with a joint BSc in Economics and Computer Science, and this recognition reflects his outstanding academic achievement across both programs.
We are also pleased to share that Jake will continue his studies this fall with the Vancouver School of Economics at the University of British Columbia, in their Economics and Computation stream. Congratulations, Jake, and best wishes on this next step.
CEA 2026
June 1, 2026
A strong showing for Memorial University’s Department of Economics at the 2026 Canadian Economics Association conference in Vancouver. We were proud to have faculty members Sara Wray Enns, Tony Fang, Blair Long, and Rober Martínez-Espiñeira featured on the program, sharing research spanning labour economics, Indigenous economic activity, immigration policy, religion and labour markets, and education.
CEA is always a valuable opportunity to contribute to national conversations in economics, connect with colleagues from across Canada, and showcase the breadth of research happening at Memorial. Congratulations to our faculty members on having their work featured at CEA 2026.
University Unions
June 1, 2026
Derek Messacar, Associate Professor, and co-authors Michael Baker (Toronto), Yosh Halberstam (FDIC), Kory Kroft (Toronto) and Alex Mas (UC Berkeley) published a new paper titled "The Impact of Unions on the Wage Distribution: Evidence from Higher Education."
The authors estimate the impact of unionization on salaries at Canadian universities using longitudinal administrative data. They find unionization compressed salaries, with wages at the bottom of the distribution increasing by roughly 10 percent, driven by the introduction of salary floors.
The study was published in the prestigious American Economic Review: Insights. The AER is the flagship journal of the American Economic Association and its insights series is a general-interest journal devoted to papers with important insights that can be conveyed succinctly.
The article is available here.
Congratulations, Graduates!
May 26, 2026
Congratulations to our Economics students and all Memorial University graduating students, and best wishes at Convocation this week!
This week marks the beginning of your next chapter as part of our Memorial University alumni community in Newfoundland and Labrador, across Canada, and beyond.
If you're on campus, stop by our alumni wall and read some of the stories featured in the hallway. You can also read them online here.
Today's graduates. Tomorrow's alumni wall.
Keep in touch and let us know where economics takes you.
Keep In Touch!
May 22, 2026
Keeping in touch is now easier!
Want to stay up-to-date on the latest news, events and accomplishments from the Department of Economics at Memorial University?
You can now:
- Sign up to receive notifications when new editions of our newsletter are released.
- Share your own news, achievements and milestones with us for possible inclusion in our newsletter, website and social media using our new submission form.
Whether you've started a new job, won an award, begun graduate studies or have exciting updates to share, we’d love to hear from you!
Newsletter & mailing list sign-up here.
Share your news and accomplishments here.
What Do Economists Do?
May 21, 2026
Why study economics? A degree in economics from Memorial University can open the door to far more careers than many students realize.
Management occupations are a very common destination. One quarter of graduates work as managers, chief executives and legislators, accountants and auditors, or personal financial advisors.
The broader picture is just as interesting. Economics graduates are also working as management analysts, financial and investment analysts, marketing managers, project specialists, software developers, computer systems analysts, and compliance officers, among many other professions.
These findings are based on U.S. data for mid-career workers whose highest degree is a bachelor’s degree in economics. Even so, the breadth of outcomes remains highly informative for students pursuing careers in Canada.
Why do our students choose economics? Check out our alumni testimonials page to find out what they have to say.
Congratulations, Evan
May 20, 2026
Congratulations to Evan Schaffer (BA Economics & BSc Concurrent) on being accepted into Calcul Québec's Quantum Computing Summer Program this year.
In the program, Evan will have access to the MonarQ 24-qubit quantum computer, in addition to CPU and GPU classical computing clusters. He will be researching the cybersecurity development applications of quantum-generated random numbers, and evaluating their advantages over traditional RNGs.
AI, Tariffs and Trade
May 20, 2026
Dr. Tony Fang, Professor & Stephen Jarislowsky Chair, presented recently at the Canadian Board of Marine Underwriters about how artificial intelligence and tariffs affect international and interprovincial trade in Atlantic Canada.
Founded in 1917, CBMU represents the goals and interest of the Marine Insurance Industry in Canada.
Changing Demographics
May 20, 2025
Dr. Tony Fang, Professor & Stephen Jarislowsky Chair, was interviewed recently by Jamie Fitzpatrick on CBC's The Signal about the changing demographics of Newfoundland and Labrador and what it means to the workforce. Dr. Fang joined co-panelists Tom Cooper (Memorial), Wanda Cuff Young (Work Global Canada), Sharon McLennon (NL Workforce Innovation Centre) and Alexandra Stefanovic-Chafe (NL Workforce Innovation Centre).
"We need to provide high-quality, high-wage meaningful employment."
Listen to the full interview here.
Telework and Productivity
May 20, 2026
Dr. Derek Messacar, Associate Professor, received research funding valued at $6,000 from Collaborative Applied Research in Economics for his work with René Morissette (Université du Québec à Chicoutimi) on telework and productivity in Canada.
The Collaborative Applied Research in Economics (CARE) initiative brings together applied research economists based in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Maritimes, and across Canada, with the goal of promoting applied economic research that enhances understanding of regional economies and their broader social impacts.
Smart Investment
May 12, 2026
Times Higher Education ranks Memorial University among the country’s top 15 universities for business and economics, and second in Atlantic Canada.
A bachelor's degree in economics has the highest expected labour market earnings among fields of study in the arts, humanities and social sciences—and in the top 25% overall.
The joint degrees of Bachelor of Commerce (Co-operative) and Bachelor of Arts in Economics is an innovative, rewarding program that allows students to complete two degrees at the same time while also gaining valuable work experience. Learn more about this program as well as courses offered by the Department of Economics of interest to business students here.
Read the full story in The Gazette here.
Departmental Retreat
May 12, 2026
After navigating another academic year together, faculty and staff of the Department of Economics recently took time to reflect, reconnect and chart our course for the year ahead.
Sunny skies and the ocean view spurred on big thinking and real collaboration. We're sailing forward with a renewed sense of purpose for our team and for every student we serve!
Issues & Answers About the Provincial Budget
May 10, 2026
Dr. Lynn Gambin, Associate Professor and Head, was interviewed with NTV's Michael Connors for a new episode of Issues & Answers.
The topic of discussion is the provincial budget.
The interview will air on NTV today, Sunday May 10th at 12:30pm NDT.
NTV's Issues & Answers can be viewed online here.
In Review Winter 2026 Newsletter
May 10, 2026
Check out the latest issue of our In Review newsletter!
Our In Review newsletter was launched in 2024. In each issue, we take a look back at the recent accomplishments of our faculty, instructors, students and alumni from the past few months.
Our newsletter showcases the remarkable contributions to academic research, policy engagement, student development and alumni success that epitomize the Department of Economics as a place to learn and grow.
Keep In Touch!