Economist 3

Arizona Department of Administration • Phoenix, AZ

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Economist 3 conducts rigorous analysis of regional labor market trends, wages, and demographic shifts to produce the agency's highly visible monthly employment reports, while also providing critical insights and labor market information (LMI) products to partner state agencies and diverse stakeholders to ensure state programs meet regulatory and statutory requirements. This position handles state-mandated regulatory deliverables and federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data programs; promotes the integration of AI tools to automate legacy reporting processes and streamline data pipeline updates to modernize reporting processes; and administers interactive data visualizations for broader LMI updates and managing public-facing website data tools. This position may offer the ability to work remotely, within Arizona, based upon the department's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures. The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Economics, Statistics, or a quantitative discipline.
• Strong research, writing, and proofreading skills, with a demonstrated ability to create narratives for media and public presentation.
• Ability to work under pressure to meet rigid recurring monthly reporting deadlines.
• Knowledge of labor market information (LMI) systems, employment and wage data, and workforce analytics used in state and federal workforce programs.
• Knowledge of reporting discipline, documentation standards, version control methods, and quality assurance processes for state initiatives.
• Knowledge of principles of regulatory economics, statutory cost-benefit analysis, and compliance-driven research frameworks, including GRRC memos, median family income estimation parameters, and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data structures (QCEW/OEWS).
• Strong analytical skills to evaluate employment trends, wages, demographic shifts, and translate findings into actionable insights.
• Skills in developing, validating, and communicating LMI products for diverse stakeholders, partner state agencies, and the public.
• Skills in leveraging AI tools, Python/programming code, automation, and data pipelines to modernize reporting processes, improve efficiency, and enhance data quality.
• Strong interpersonal skills to interface with other divisions on recurring tasks and special projects.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex economic, regulatory, and workforce data to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to manage detailed project documentation, version controls, and recurring reporting timelines for multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across divisions and adapt analyses to evolving policy and strategic priorities, providing technical formatting and quality control support.
• Ability to provide technical assistance and support that strengthens workforce data collection, public tool accuracy, and analytical capacity.

Responsibilities

• Analyze regional labor market trends, wages, and demographic shifts to produce the agency's highly visible monthly employment reports.
• Lead the development of accompanying press release narratives and presentations.
• Manage public-facing website data tools and administer interactive data visualizations for broader LMI updates.
• Regularly maintain and update data files, charts, and tables to ensure public information products are accurate and timely.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for external state departments to fulfill regulatory mandates.
• Review proposed administrative rule-makings & multi-year reports to evaluate stakeholder cost impacts & ensure compliance with state statutes.
• Prepare economic impact analysis memos monthly for Governor's Regulatory Review Council (GRRC), execute median family income estimations required under state statute, handle wage verification information for the Arizona Department of Corrections, and prepare economic impact analysis reports for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
• Champion the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools & write programming code to automate legacy reporting workflows.
• Streamline internal data pipelines & build connected spreadsheet or dashboard outputs to minimize manual data processing.
• Work with Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data programs, including the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), & assist with annual benchmarking revision process.
• Ensure strict operational quality control and standardization across the division by validating that recurring reporting packages are accurate and audit-ready.
• Provide comprehensive documentation and QA support for the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) by managing milestone trackers, issue logs, and strict version control.
• Maintain and update data files, charts, and tables for various information products in a timely and accurate manner (5%).
• Respond to ad hoc requests from the public, research institutions, state/local governments, and the Governor's office, and assist OEO Labor Systems and Workforce teams with project deliverables as needed (5%).

Benefits

• Sick leave
• Vacation with 10 paid holidays per year
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program)
• Health and dental insurance
• Retirement plan
• Life insurance and long-term disability insurance
• Optional employee benefits include short-term disability insurance, deferred compensation plans, and supplemental life insurance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level