Statistics for Economics

Shahdad Naghshpour

Nov 2012 · Business Expert Press

About this ebook

Statistics is the branch of mathematics that deals with real-life problems. As such, it is an essential tool for economists. Unfortunately, the way you and many other economists learn the concept of statistics is not compatible with the way economists think and learn. The problem is worsened by the use of mathematical jargon and complex derivations. Here’s a book that proves none of this is necessary. All the examples and exercises in this book are constructed within the field of economics, thus eliminating the difficulty of learning statistics with examples from fields that have no relation to business, politics, or policy. Statistics is, in fact, not more difficult than economics. Anyone who can comprehend economics can understand and use statistics successfully within this field, including you! This book utilizes Microsoft Excel to obtain statistical results, as well as to perform additional necessary computations. Microsoft Excel is not the software of choice for performing sophisticated statistical analysis. However, it is widely available, and almost everyone has some degree of familiarity with it. Using Excel will eliminate the need for students and readers to buy and learn new software, the need that itself would prove to be another impediment to learning and using statistics.

About the author

Dr. Shahdad Naghshpour received his PhD from Oklahoma State University and his BA from Tehran University. Currently, he is teaching International Economics and Statistics at the University of Southern Mississippi. He received the Distinguished Professorship Award for 2008–09 in the category of Research. He has been a consultant to numerous state agencies, such as the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District, as well as the Gulf Regional Planning Commission.