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Economist / Statistician (Economics)

Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Bureau of Labor Statistics 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 located in the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Field Operations, Division of National Compensation Survey (NCS).

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
08/03/2022 to 08/17/2022
Salary
$103,104 to - $134,033 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Philadelphia, PA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - Temporary travel outside the duty station by various modes of transportation is required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13 - This position is at the full performance level (FPL).
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
MS-22-CHI-BLS-281
Control number
668945400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All current, federal Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics employees with competitive status; CTAP eligibles in the local commuting area.

Duties

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This position will serve as a key technical expert for the NCS and Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) programs.

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • The incumbent improves survey collection procedures and survey non-response; assist journey-level Field Economists in developing strategies for soliciting participation from critical respondents in multiple BLS wage programs; and applies and interprets statistical techniques and methodologies to complex collection situations.

  • Applies statistical procedures to extensively analyze and validate aggregate quality assurance and other data-base information for keys to improving the programs and field procedures, and ensures that survey needs are met across assigned region consistent with statistical, economic, and procedural requirements by looking for structural improvement possibilities in program implementation.

  • Develops and conducts regional training workshops and provides on-the–job training for field staff on the more complex industries and procedures. Develops new training approaches to enhance
    current regional training, and address developmental and training needs for staff.

  • Works with members of the Regional Economic Analysis and Information Unit to develop an outreach and information program to support publicizing new program products, as well as to maximize survey response.

  • Participates on national teams which address program related issues and problems that are nationwide in scope.

  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
  • Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Requires a valid drivers license.

Applicants must meet time-in-grade, time-after-competitive-appointment and qualifications requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the vacancy to be eligible for consideration for selection.

Federal Employees: Please Note: Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met and reflects your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. competitive/excepted).  In some cases you may need to submit more than one SF-50. 

Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Notification Concerning COVID-19 Vaccinations.  As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal executive branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law.  If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to submit documentation of proof of vaccination or to be in the process of requesting an exception to the vaccination requirement before appointment or onboarding with the agency.  The agency will provide additional information regarding which forms of documentation can be accepted and how you can request to be considered for a legally required exception from this requirement.

Currently, implementation and enforcement of Executive Order 14043 has been suspended pursuant to an injunction pending further litigation.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the Basic Requirement AND Minimum qualifications for each 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. 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.

Statistician (Economics), GS-1530: 

A) Degree that included 15 semester hours in statistics (or in mathematics and statistics, provided at least 6 semester hours were in statistics), and 9 additional semester hours in one or more of the following: physical or biological sciences, medicine, education, or engineering; or in the social sciences including demography, history, economics, social welfare, geography, international relations, social or cultural anthropology, health sociology, political science, public administration, psychology, etc.  Credit toward meeting statistical course requirements should be given for courses in which 50 percent of the course content appears to be statistical methods, e.g., courses that included studies in research methods in psychology or economics such as tests and measurements or business cycles, or courses in methods of processing mass statistical data such as tabulating methods or electronic data processing. 

OR

B) A combination of education and experience - courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The experience should have included a full range of professional statistical work such as (a) sampling, (b) collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data, and (c) applying statistical techniques such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement above, applicants must also meet the minimum qualifications to be considered.

Specialized Experience:

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement above, applicants must also meet the minimum qualifications to be considered:

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-12, in the Federal Service. This experience must have equipped the candidate with the knowledge and ability to perform fully the work of the position. Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Extensive professional knowledge and background of economic theory or statistics to collect, analyze and interpret information and economic patterns, and a mastery of wage survey collection concepts, techniques and procedures;
  • A mastery of compensation survey programs and prevalent practices in the areas of wage and salary administration, occupational job requirements, employee benefits, employee relations and organizational design;
  • Knowledge of interviewing, interpersonal communication, and negotiating techniques to maximize the level of participation from sophisticated and high level corporate or governmental officials.

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. Individual Occupation Requirement for Statistician Series GS-1530.

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 course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

This position is inside the bargaining unit.

This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled either as an Economist or Statistician (Economics).

Position Telework eligibility is determined by management based on position duties during the recruitment process. Employee participation in telework on a routine or situational basis is determined by management primarily based on business needs.  Employees participating in telework are subject to the terms and conditions of the Department of Labor’s Telework Program.

Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high-performing and diverse workforce in which employees' differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility, and fairness so that all individuals can participate and contribute to their full potential.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Click here for Evaluation details.

INFORMATION FOR CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. CTAP eligible(s) will be considered "well-qualified" if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility Questions #24 to reflect that you are applying as an CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. 

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Economic Data Management & Analysis - Knowledge of the principles, procedures, and tools of data management.

Decision Making - Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change. 

Interpersonal Skills  - Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

Oral Communication  - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

Self-Management - Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.

Technology Application - Uses machines, tools, instruments, or equipment effectively; uses computers and computer applications to analyze and communicate information in the appropriate format.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references, and through other means (ex. interview). Your evaluation may also include a review by an HR Specialist or panel and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume.


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