Labor Economist

The Congressional Budget Office is a small nonpartisan agency that provides economic, policy, and budgetary analysis to the Congress. CBO’s Labor, Income Security, and Long-Term Analysis Division is seeking a labor economist and an economist with an interest in demography, particularly immigration. As part of the division’s Long-Term Analysis Unit, the economists will conduct research and analysis on topics of interest to the Congress and contribute to the full range of the unit’s responsibilities. 

The Long-Term Analysis Unit produces projections of the population and projections of federal spending over the long term. It also develops and maintains a microsimulation model that is used to produce long-term projections of Social Security spending and revenues and to analyze proposed policy changes to the Social Security program. The demographics economist will be responsible for improving the agency’s projections of changes in the country’s population because of immigration and other factors, and assist with estimating the budgetary effects of legislative proposals related to immigration policy. Both the demographics economist and the labor economist will support the work of the unit in its lead role producing recurring reports on the budget outlook over the long term. 

The economists will have opportunities to participate in policy research related to CBO’s mission by presenting papers at conferences, writing CBO working papers that introduce preliminary research, and publishing articles in professional journals.

Qualifications

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in economics or a related field, or they must have a master’s degree and at least five years of relevant work experience. The position also requires the following skills and attributes:

·       Strong quantitative skills, including experience with large datasets;

·       Excellent oral and written communication skills, especially the ability to clearly explain analytic results to others on CBO’s staff as well as to Congressional staff and Members of the Congress;

·       A demonstrated ability to initiate and complete research projects both independently and collaboratively;

·       Facility with handling multiple projects simultaneously, often under tight deadlines; and

·       a desire to contribute directly to the analysis- of federal policy in a nonpartisan setting.

Salary and Benefits

Salaries at CBO are competitive and commensurate with experience, education, and other qualifications. CBO offers excellent benefits and a collegial, respectful work environment.

How to Apply

Submit a cover letter, résumé, brief writing sample, and contact information for three references at www.cbo.gov/careers. Recent Ph.D. graduates must submit an unofficial copy of academic transcripts and have letters of recommendation sent to careers@cbo.gov in place of references. Only complete applications will be considered. To ensure consideration, apply by April 22, 2024.

This position is covered by the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998, as made applicable to CBO by the Congressional Accountability Act, as amended.