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Economist

Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration
Office of Unemployment Insurance (OUI)

Summary

Positions are located in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Unemployment Insurance (OUI). OUI is responsible for providing leadership, direction, oversight, and assistance to state workforce agencies in the implementation and administration of state unemployment insurance (UI) programs, Federal unemployment compensation programs, and other wage-loss, worker dislocation and adjustment assistance compensation programs.

The positions are inside the bargaining unit.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/20/2026 to 05/27/2026
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
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)
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
DH-26-DAL-ETA-12965183-SLN
Control number
869859800

Duties

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Major duties for this position:

  • Working on the collection, compilation, analysis, and publication of the weekly Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims data.
  • Independently planning and conducting complex and difficult economic and statistical analyses involving topics related to agency programs.
  • Developing and maintaining statistical data processing and data analysis tools and products using spreadsheet and programming-based applications along with other visual analytics tools.
  • Validates files, tables, and charts related to the assignment. Stays abreast of current and planned changes in source data.
  • Planning procedures for collecting and tabulating data and recommending new or improved methods.
  • Maintaining strict compliance with program data security rules and data verification procedures. Leads the planning and decision-making processes involved in system requirements development, acceptance testing, and implementation of system changes.
  • Preparing documentation of procedures, findings, and problems encountered along with recommendations for resolution. Responding to routine inquiries on program areas, as a key subject matter expert.
  • Reviewing, updating, and/or creating clear and definitive documentation on new and existing procedures for key areas of responsibility.
  • Communicating technical information effectively to varied audiences both orally and in writing in a clear, succinct, and organized manner, as appropriate for the intended audience.
  • Solves major economic problems and draws rational inferences based on findings. Identifies and interprets trends and makes relevant economic forecasts based on data.

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-0110-13

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-12, 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-13 includes meeting at least 2 of the following:

1. Experience in economic/statistical analysis projects and utilizing statistical software to analyze data (e.g., R, SPSS, SAS).
2. Researching, compiling, and validating large scale economic and/or statistical data.
3. Producing recurring data-based reports in a structured production environment for publication and/or broad distribution to both internal and external stakeholders.
4. Developing and operating statistical and/or economic models, such as regression-based forecasting tools, workload and/or revenue projections, program performance measurement models, and predictive statistical models.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC, WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

There is no substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience at the GS-12 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 course work requirements for this position.

Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

This position is being filled through the Direct Hire Authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applications does NOT apply. Veterans' preference does not apply.

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 ACCOMMODATION, 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. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.

Click here for 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants meeting the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements will be referred to the selecting official. Rating/ranking and veterans' preference does not apply to this position.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12965183

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

USA Hire

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
  • Attention to Detail
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Teamwork


Under the authority of direct hire recruitment, evaluation factors are a tool to gauge one's proficiency in relevant competencies, but will not be used to determine who will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. All candidates who have provided a complete application, and meet the minimum qualification requirements will be referred for consideration.

Click here for Evaluation details.

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must meet the basic and minimum qualification requirements for this position to receive consideration. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

Employment and Training Administration

Begin a challenging career with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and you will help shape the workforce of tomorrow. DOL offers rewarding opportunities to contribute to a noble mission; to serve and protect American workers, prepare them for new and better jobs, and to ensure the safety and fairness of American workplaces.

The Department of Labor values its customers. Every DOL employee is responsible for delivering good customer service through accurate, courteous, efficient, and effective transactions.

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.

Applicants with disabilities can contact the vacancy point of contact listed on the job vacancy announcement to request reasonable accommodations needed for the application process.

Agency contact information

Shasta Needham
Phone
972-850-4755
Email
needham.shasta.l@dol.gov
Address
Employment and Training Administration
200 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20210
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Employment and Training Administration, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta

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