Economist
What you'd do
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (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 is with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Economic Information and Analysis.
Major duties
The Division of Economic Information and Analysis is responsible for writing press releases, speaking to members of the media and attending public events as a speaker to share labor market information with members of the public. Duties include but are not limited to: Performs preliminary review of data, including statistical computations; conducts analysis and dissemination of economic data. Serves as the initial professional contact for the office's callers and visitors and supplies BLS statistics and publications to data users. Develops a thorough understanding in breadth and depth of all BLS programs to prepare basic economic analysis on the basis of general instructions. Stays abreast of the activities of both public and private organizations whose services are complementary/relevant to BLS in the broad area of labor economics and statistics. Prepares routine BLS press releases which includes updating tables, writing text, proofreading/editing, and submitting coordinated press releases to national office for publication clearance. Conducts various traditional outreach tasks such as preparing mailings, reserving facilities, coordinating with conference sponsors, preparing material, and preparing portions of presentations for certain Bureau programs under the direction of senior staff. Duties at the GS-09 are developmental leading up to the full performance level of the GS-12.
What you need to qualify
Applicants must meet the Basic Requirements and the Minimum qualifications to qualify for each series and grade they wish to be considered for. Basic Requirements: Economist, GS-0110: A) Degree in economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting or calculus. OR B) A combination of education and experience - courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement above, applicants must also meet the Minimum Qualifications to be considered: Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Specialized experience should include a thorough range of complex economic professional work. Some examples of qualifying specialized experience include: GS-9: Prepare preliminary review of data including statistical computations; identify and explain the significance of variations from expected results and the interrelationship with other data and draw conclusions; prepare and present economic findings related to national and local labor statistics to diverse audiences. OR Education Substitution: GS-9: 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. OR Combination of Education and Specialized Experience: GS-9: Graduate education (more than one year but less than two) and specialized experience as required for GS-09 (less than one year) that when combined totals one year. Only graduate education beyond the first year (18 semester hours or quarter hour equivalent) can be combined with experience to total one year. For additional information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management Operating Manual for Qualification Standards, Group Coverage Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions: Individual Occupation Requirements for Economist Series GS-110.
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