I think it's wrong to say that research must specifically conducted on scientific matters. There are many people who actively research economics.

Also, their lab can be anywhere, doesn't matter. science is about the scientific process, not labcoats and microscopes.

Economics is a social science. The idea that science must be performed in a lab is fundamentally wrong. That said, economists do have labs where they conduct data analysis, often with the assistance of large computing resources.

To summarize the other responses in trite soundbite form:

Science is a methodology, not a location.