Economist

Summary

This position is in the Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of Policy Development and Research (OPDR).

This position is inside the bargaining unit.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

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• Facilitate the design, collection, and assembly of large datasets on public workforce system participants.
• Provide expertise on the computational needs associated with the collection and maintenance of very large datasets.
• Lead activities on the design and execution of data validation methodologies.
• Develop documentation detailing the collection of program data and ensuring compliance with applicable federal policies.
• Write and manage code used for the analysis of large datasets.
• Conduct econometric analyses of public workforce system data to draw inferences on program performance.
• Design econometric models guiding the development of program goals.
• Develop analytical plans and methodological approaches for research, evaluation, and data validation activities.
• Analyze findings and develop recommendations to guide new research datasets, validation techniques, and program initiatives.
• Develop materials describing research and evaluation agendas.
• Lead the production of publishable economic reports applicable to issues concerning workforce development activities.
• Prepare official documents to provide guidance on workforce development matters on behalf of Employment and Training Administration.
• Review, develop, and refine policy proposals and other related materials.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Qualifications

You must meet the Basic Requirements and the Specialized Experience to qualify for the Economist, GS-0110-14

Basic Requirements:

1. Degree: economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.

OR

2. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience as listed below or additional education.

Examples of qualifying experience include:

1. individual economic research assignments requiring planning, information assembly, analysis and evaluation, conclusions and report preparation;
2. supervisory or project coordination assignments involving a staff of professional economists, and requiring the evaluation and interpretation of economic information; or
3. teaching assignments in a college or university that included both class instruction in economics subjects and one of the following (1) personal research that produced evidence of results, (2) direction of graduate theses in economics, or (3) service as a consultant or advisor on technical economics problems.

Experience in related fields that did not involve the use and understanding of economic principles and theories may not be used as qualifying experience for these positions. Special attention on this point should be given to certain types of work that may or may not have provided professional economic experience. The following examples of work require special care in such determinations:

1. economic statistics;
2. industrial surveys;
3. management of individual business enterprises, including farms;
4. industrial planning;
5. writing or editorial work in economic subjects; and
6. financial market analysis.

In addition to meeting the basic qualification requirements above, applicants must also meet the specialized experience shown below:

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-13, in the Federal Service.

Specialized Experience is typically in or directly related to the work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and actual experience to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience for GS-14 includes all of the following: (Note: Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience.)

1. Validating economic data for accuracy and completeness.

2. Applying statistical or computational methods (e.g., R or Python) to analyze economic data from a variety of sources.

3. Preparing reports or presentations exploring economic patterns or trends.

4. Advising on workforce development matters to government officials and/or private organizations.

WHEN DOCUMENTING EXPERIENCE IN YOUR RESUME, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. NO ASSUMPTIONS WILL BE MADE ABOUT YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE.

There is no substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience at the GS-14 grade level.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

• Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English) - If you are using education as a basis for qualifying for this position, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex. BA/BS, MA, JD, Ph.D., etc.). If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit. You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document with a maximum size limit of 5 MB.

NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED, if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.

Additional information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit.

For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.