In economics degrees, quantitative skills are used and taught. To assist with this, programming is also used, as it allows for data analytics, dealing with large data sets and mass application of the mathematical, statistical, econometric techniques. So why is it a good idea for economics students to learn Python?
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It is a programming language suited for beginners - most people, in any domain and for any reason, will usually start in Python, this is due to relatively easy syntax, simple coding constructs and abundance of guides and tutorials
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The easy to read syntax speeds up development times - this saves time by allowing you to focus on the economic applications
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Used heavily for statistical purposes - there are a lot of guides and tutorials on using Python specifically for economics, econometrics, statistics and data science, as long as popular libraries such as Numpy, Scipy, Pandas, Matplotlib, etc
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Good basis for learning other languages - if need be, you could use your Python skills to make it easier to learn other languages that you might need or want to learn, such as R or Matlab
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Python is a good skill to have - it is useful for a wide range of jobs, whether you go in finance, accounting, logistics, etc