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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 with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Field Operations, Industrial Price Program (IP).  

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

This position is inside the bargaining unit. 

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
05/19/2022 to 06/02/2022
Salary
$48,880 to - $63,538 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 07
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Few vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
75% or less - VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE IS REQUIRED - Driving conditions include highway & local streets, driving at night and in adverse weather conditions. 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
12 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the need for an employee promoted to the higher level, and supervisory approval.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
MS-22-CHI-BLS-184
Control number
655295000

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 nationwide. CTAP eligibles in the local commuting area.

Duties

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Duties include but are not limited to:

  • The incumbent plans, schedules, and conducts data collection assignments for the Producer Price Index and the Import/Export Price Indexes using fairly complex economic or statistical techniques which are covered by established methods and procedures. 

  • Makes arrangements preparatory to obtaining voluntary data from enterprises for which the collection of data is expected to present relatively few complexities and for which precedents exist. Applies standard practices and techniques to the solicitation of data and reports information in accordance with survey requirements.

  • Evaluates the data collected and makes adjustments or follow-up contact with respondents to ensure reliability and comparability as well as reasonableness and conformance to survey requirements.

  • Prepares end-of-survey reports that critically evaluate collection experiences in relations to survey design and specifications, survey materials, economic conditions affecting the industry and area studied, and trends in the industry and area.  Recommends modifications in survey methods oriented toward improvements in the survey plan.

  • Prepares feedback covering collection experiences and supplies recommendations for survey improvement.  Provides general information to respondents about the PPI and the MXP.

Duties at the GS-07 are development leading up to the full performance level of the GS-12

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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

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.

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:

GS-7: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5. 

Specialized experience should include a thorough range of complex economic professional work. Some examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

GS-7: Applying standard practices and techniques to the solicitation and collection of economic information or data for surveys or projects, analyzing or interpreting economic or statistical information in order to identify and resolve discrepancies, and preparing reports based on collected information.

OR

Education Substitution:

GS-7: 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement.

Superior Academic Achievement is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.

1) Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.

2) Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

3) Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society. A list of acceptable honor societies can be found at https://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp

OR

GS-7: An appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience.

Education must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this position.

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 Requirement for Statistics Series GS-1530.  Individual Occupation Requirements for Economist Series GS-110.

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

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.

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

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) 

All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Customer Service - Works with clients and customers to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations.

Decision Making - Employs strategic & critical approaches to decision-making and/or problem solving.

Interpersonal Skills - Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others.

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).

Planning and Evaluating - Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; 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 initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.

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 brief, clear, and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.

Economic Data Management and Analysis - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - Please see additional information section.

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.

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. 


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