Economist

Bureau of Labor Statistics • Chicago, IL

11h • Onsite

About The Position

The Economist position is with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Chicago Regional Office. BLS measures labor market activity, working conditions, price changes, and productivity in the U.S. economy to support public and private decision making. The role conducts economic and statistical data collection using established methods and procedures. The GS-07 duties are developmental and lead toward the GS-12 full performance level; training assignments may include aspects of work typically performed at a higher level.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Must have a valid driver's license.
• Must obtain the necessary security or investigation level and undergo the required background investigation.
• Meet the Economist series basic education requirement: a degree in economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus; or equivalent education and experience combining courses equivalent to that major with appropriate experience or additional education.
• Meet the minimum qualification requirement of 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-5 in the Federal Service, or an applicable education substitution or combination of education and experience.
• For GS-07 qualifying specialized experience includes planning, scheduling, and collecting economic or survey data from assigned companies and industries through methods such as personal visits, video collaboration tools, phone, or email, or entering collected data into software for review and transmittal.
• Education substitution for GS-07 may include one year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement, based on class standing, GPA, or membership in a qualifying national scholastic honor society; an appropriate combination of graduate education and less than one year of specialized experience may also qualify.
• Foreign education must be shown to be comparable to education received at accredited U.S. institutions and to meet applicable coursework requirements.

Responsibilities

• Plan, schedule, and conduct data collection assignments using economic or statistical techniques covered by established methods and procedures.
• Make preparations to obtain voluntary data from enterprises where collection is expected to present relatively few complexities and precedents exist.
• Apply standard practices and techniques to solicit data 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 help ensure accurate and timely survey results.
• Analyze reported data as needed to assess accuracy.
• Evaluate data-collection experiences in relation to survey design and specifications, survey materials, economic conditions affecting the industry and area studied, and industry and area trends.
• Recommend modifications to survey methods to improve the survey plan.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• A comprehensive federal employee benefits package is available to employees and their families; eligibility depends on position type and other factors.

What This Job Offers

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