Economic Assistant Jobs

Summary

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the principal fact-finding agency for the federal government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The BLS is an independent national statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other federal agencies, state and local governments, business, and labor. The BLS also serves as a statistical resource to the U.S. Department of Labor.

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Help Duties

This is not a remote position. Work will be performed primarily in Fort Myers, FL, which includes travel throughout Lee county.

THIS POSITION IS PART-TIME ONLY AND DOES NOT LEAD TO FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT. THIS IS NOT ENTRY LEVEL FOR AN ECONOMIST POSITION.

The initial average hours per week will be 16 to 32 hours to start depending on workload and training requirements. Work schedule will vary week to week depending upon work requirements. This is not a job for a person who needs full-time work or who cannot be available for work when required, which includes a mix of day, evening and weekend hours as needed. Additionally, this position requires visits to retail stores, businesses, and residences to gather the required information.

Selectees must travel to the Bureau of Labor Statistics training center in Washington, D.C. or another location if scheduled for mandatory classroom training such as: One (1) week introductory commodities and services (C&S) training and One (1) week of advanced data collection. Housing training and some C&S training are accomplished through distance learning. Notice will be given of planned training events that require travel.

Economic Assistants collect prices and related statistical data on a wide variety of commodities, services, and housing for the BLS Consumer Price Index. Data for commodities and services are collected by conducting personal and telephone interviews with store managers and buyers, managers in auto dealerships, doctors, pharmacists, and other professionals. Data for the housing survey are obtained by personal visit or telephone interview with either property managers, tenants, or homeowners. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Contacting homeowners, renters, and apartment management companies by personal visit to neighborhoods and follow up telephone interviews.
• Visiting retail and service establishments such as department stores, supermarkets, medical off ices, and hotels to collect retail price data. A limited amount of data are collected by telephone/fax, video, and websites.
• Collecting and entering data on a handheld computer.
• Traveling to a field off ice for on-the-job training and periodic meetings.
• Obtaining voluntary cooperation from survey respondents.

Help Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE IS REQUIRED - Driving conditions include highway and local streets, driving at night and in adverse weather conditions. Work in retail stores is typically completed during normal business hours.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Temporary travel outside the duty station by various modes of transportation is required.
• Personal visits to housing units are necessary and require walking/standing for long periods. Collection from housing units is likely to include walking on uneven surfaces.
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

Applicants must meet qualifications, legal and regulatory requirements for the position by the closing date of this announcement.

GS-05: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 level.

Specialized experience is the experience that is in or related to the work of the position being filled which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Examples of qualifying experience may include:

• Experience using personal computers and applications to perform research or related work that involved collecting, compiling, verifying, analyzing, or reporting data;
• Interviewer or in-take experience that required detailed record-keeping and/or oral persuasion skills with public contact.
• Cold-calling sales, survey, marketing, retail sales or public outreach work;

Education Requirements:

Education substitution: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in economics, or 24 semester hours of courses in subjects such as business law, statistics, algebra, precalculus, calculus, or economics. Equivalent combination of education and experience are qualifying.

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.

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

Additional information

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

This position is inside the bargaining unit.

Full performance grade level of this position is GS-07.

There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and the supervisor's recommendation to the next grade.

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

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. As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflects the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and models a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.

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.

Delegated Examining Unit (DEU) Authorization No. DOL-1

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• Help 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.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

200 Constitution Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20210

US