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Economic Assistant

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

Summary

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 are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

This position is located in the DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Field Operations, Division of Price Programs, Branch of Consumer Price Index Programs in the following location: Picayune, MS.

-These positions have promotion potential to GS-7. Promotion Potential: There is no obligation to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and supervisory approval.

- These positions are inside the bargaining unit.
- Relocation costs will not be paid.

Assigned work may be located throughout the metropolitan areas for the city listed above. This city will not have an office. The majority of work is performed in the field, such as in retail establishments, offices of service providers, as well as real estate owners and managers, or at apartments and homes. The remainder of the work, such as telephone contacts and administrative functions, is carried out at the employee's home. The initial average hours per week is 24. Hours may fluctuate based on workload and training requirements. This is not a job for a person who needs full-time work or who cannot be available for work when it is required, including a mix of day, evening and weekend hours. This position will not lead to a permanent full-time position.

NOTE: Visits to residences are necessary and evening and weekend work is scheduled. Work in retail stores is typically completed during normal business hours. You must travel to the Bureau of Labor Statistics training center in Washington, D.C. during the first 18 months for mandatory classroom training.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
01/13/2017 to 09/18/2018
Salary
$15.74 to - $20.46 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 05
Location
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Picayune, MS
FEW vacancies
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Frequent travel within local commuting area -Minor travel required for training purposes
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Permanent POSITION IS PERMANENT PART-TIME AND DOES NOT LEAD TO FULL-TIME.
Work schedule
Part-time - Part Time approximately 24 hours per week, may fluctuate due to workload and training requirements.
Service
Promotion potential
07
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Announcement number
DE-17-DAL-BLS-0017
Control number
462295800

This job is open to

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Duties

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Collect prices and related statistical data on a wide variety of commodities, services, and housing for the BLS Consumer Price Index. Duties include, but are not limited to:

1. Visiting retail and service establishments such as stores, supermarket, medical offices, and hotels to collect retail price data. A limited amount of data is collected by telephone/fax.

2. Contacting homeowners, renters, and apartments management companies by personal visit to neighborhoods and follow up telephone interviews.

3. Collecting and entering data on a hand held computer.

4. Obtaining voluntary cooperation from survey respondents.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship.
  • Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Must be at least 16 years of age.

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Qualifications

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-04, in the Federal Service.

Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Experience in performing research or related work that involved collecting, compiling, verifying, analyzing, or reporting data.

OR

Educating and Training:

For GS-4: Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours of courses in subjects such as business law, statistics, algebra, precalculus, calculus, or economics.

For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with major study in economics, or 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as those shown above for GS-4.

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). The examining Human Resources Office (HRO) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the HRO may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.)

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP ELIGIBLES ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP eligibles who are placed into Category B or higher will be considered "well-qualified".

Click Application of Veterans Preference for Category Rating Jobs for more information.

Education

If you wish to use your education as a basis for meeting the eligibility and/or minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must submit academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements. If specific course work is required to fulfill the eligibility and/or minimum qualification requirements, you must supply transcripts from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit for that course work. See the 'Qualifications and Evaluations' section of this announcement for more details.

If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation necessary to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.

College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education - The Department of Labor does not recognize academic degrees from unauthorized secondary schools or post-secondary institutions that are not accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Department of 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

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

The Department of Labor does not make unfavorable hiring decisions on the basis of an applicant's previous or current unemployment, or the fact that an applicant has experienced financial difficulty through no fault of his/her own and has undertaken good faith efforts to meet his/her financial obligations. Consideration is given to financial status in relation to appointments only where required by law, regulation, or Executive Order.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, SELECTIVE SERVICE REGISTRATION, PROBATIONARY PERIOD, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

How you will be evaluated

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

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses.

Categories
Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity. Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies required by this position. Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualifications requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.

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

Making and Problem Solving -Employs strategic and critical approaches to decision-making and/or problem solving, e.g. identifying, and considering issues, determining accuracy and relevance of information, resolve issues and provide value.
Interpersonal Skills - Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others.
Oral Communication -Expresses information to individuals or groups effectively, makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
Planning and Evaluating - Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.
Self-Management - Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of motivation, initiative, effort, and commitment towards timely completion of assignments with minimal supervision.
Influencing/Negotiating - Persuades others; develops networks and coalitions; gains cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals; negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions; build consensus through give and take.
Technology Application and Management - Uses machines, tools, or equipment effectively; uses computers and computer applications to analyze and communicate information in the appropriate format.
Writing - Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a clear, succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material that is appropriate for the intended audience.
Customer Service - Works, clients and customers to secure information, assess their needs, provide information, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
Stress Tolerance - Deals calmly and effectively with high stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, and multiple competing priorities).
To preview questions please click here.

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