Economist

Bureau of Labor Statistics • Los Angeles, CA

6h • Onsite

About The Position

The Economist works for the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Division of Price Programs, Industrial Price. BLS measures labor market activity, working conditions, price changes, and productivity in the U.S. economy to support public and private decision making. This position collects data from businesses for the Producer Price Index (PPI) and Import/Export Price Indexes (MXP), using established methods and procedures.

The position plans and conducts data collection assignments, arranges voluntary data collection from businesses, researches sampled companies, schedules appointments, travels to sampled establishments, and interviews company officials. It evaluates collected information for accuracy, reliability, comparability, and conformance to survey requirements; follows up with respondents to clarify information and support timely results; and assesses collection experiences and industry conditions to recommend improvements to survey methods. The position is developmental at the GS-09 level, leading to the full performance level of GS-12. Assignments may include segments of work typically performed at a higher level for training and development.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Must obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Must have a valid driver's license.
• Meet the Economist GS-0110 basic education requirement: a degree in economics including at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus; or a combination of education and experience that includes courses equivalent to an economics major plus appropriate experience or additional education.
• For GS-09, have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-07 in the Federal Service, including complex economic professional work. Qualifying examples include scheduling appointments and conducting interviews with sampled establishments, securing voluntary cooperation and collecting business or survey data, and following up with respondents to clarify data.
• Alternatively for GS-09, have two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree, or a master's or equivalent graduate degree.
• Alternatively for GS-09, have more than one but less than two years of graduate education combined with less than one year of qualifying specialized experience, totaling one year. Only graduate education beyond the first year (18 semester hours or equivalent) may be combined with experience.
• Applicants must meet all applicable legal and regulatory requirements and provide evidence of the comparability of foreign education to U.S. accredited education and applicable coursework requirements, if applicable.
• Personnel must undergo a background investigation before entering on duty.
• Must complete required USA Hire Competency Based Assessments within 48 hours of receiving the assessment URL, if the link is received after the announcement closes.

Responsibilities

• Collect data from businesses for the Producer Price Index (PPI) and Import/Export Price Indexes (MXP).
• Plan, schedule, and conduct data collection assignments using established economic or statistical methods and procedures.
• Make arrangements to obtain voluntary data from enterprises where collection is expected to present relatively few complexities and precedents exist.
• Research sampled companies online, call to schedule appointments, and travel to sampled establishments.
• Conduct interviews with high-level company officials.
• Solicit data using standard practices and techniques and report information in accordance with survey requirements.
• Evaluate collected data and make adjustments to ensure reliability, comparability, reasonableness, and conformance to survey requirements.
• Follow up with respondents to clarify data and ensure accurate and timely survey results.
• Evaluate collection experiences in relation to survey design and specifications, survey materials, economic conditions, and industry and area trends.
• Recommend modifications to survey methods to improve the survey plan.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Comprehensive federal employee benefits package for employees and their families; specific eligibility depends on position type.

What This Job Offers

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