Summary

Position is 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.

This position is inside the bargaining unit.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.