The Economist · 12 Sep, 08:04 · Finance briefing

Wanted: new business, finance and economics interns

The Economist reports a significant increase in demand for internships across business, finance, and economics sectors.

What it means for you ↓ Courses for this story

28%average pay gap between certified and uncertified finance staff

2.4xfaster promotion with a professional credential

83%of finance leaders rank upskilling a top-3 priority

20days to your first credential

The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

The Economist reports a significant increase in demand for internships across business, finance, and economics sectors. This trend indicates that organisations are actively seeking early-career talent to support core operational and analytical functions. The surge suggests a robust labour market for entry-level professionals, with companies prioritising candidates who possess foundational knowledge in these disciplines. For working professionals, this signals a competitive environment where securing initial roles requires demonstrating strong academic credentials and practical relevance. The report highlights the enduring importance of traditional economic and financial literacy in contemporary corporate structures, regardless of broader technological shifts.

Employer demand for Finance and Accounting skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

This surge in internship demand signals that foundational financial and economic literacy remains critical. You should prioritise sharpening your analytical skills, particularly in interpreting market data and understanding macroeconomic trends. Professionals in adjacent fields, such as marketing or operations, must now demonstrate financial acumen to remain competitive. If you are considering a career pivot, now is the time to upskill in core business principles. A smart professional would immediately review their CV to highlight any relevant analytical projects or financial modelling experience. You should also network with hiring managers in these sectors to understand specific competency gaps. Ultimately, integrating these hard skills into your existing expertise will make you indispensable in a data-driven corporate environment.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Finance and Accounting, Business And Management, Economics and Financial Modeling — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

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