Junior Economist

ICF is hiring Junior Economist to perform a critical role in the International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) within the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). ILAB creates American jobs and increases American wages by combating foreign abusive labor practices that undermine U.S. competitiveness in global supply chains. The Junior Economist will play an important role in identifying cost-effective international labor interventions designed to produce the greatest benefit for American workers because of investments made by ILAB.

This position will be on site in Washington, D.C.

• Elevate the agency’s use of data-driven evidence in international programs to proactively identify cost effective activities across a spectrum of options designed to maximize the: (1) likelihood of success, (2) greatest return on investment, and (3) ability to scale of impact regarding program benefits for U.S. workers.

• Various ILAB projects will be assigned to the Junior Economist, who will be tasked with creating a well-researched narrative, supported by data or statistical analysis, that can reasonably demonstrate whether ILAB programs generate identifiable benefits to U.S. workers and businesses or have degraded abusive labor practices by competing entities. Based upon the findings, the position will work within ILAB’s Economics Team to build an evidence base on how ILAB's international labor activities can further U.S. national interests within important global supply chains upon which American economic and security interests depend.

• Assist the various offices within ILAB to maximize direct economic benefits for American workers through international engagement advancing fair trade, the elimination of abusive labor practices, and upholding international agreements.

• In addition to the primary responsibilities above, undertake various data analysis and visualization tasks on a regular basis. Research tasks may be assigned to support activities related to G20, G7, ILO, USMCA implementation, and the impact of trade on U.S. labor markets. Other tasks may include research work related to annual reports that ILAB produces.

• The Junior Economist’s work is essential to building an agile element that can quickly respond to, and pivot, to emerging needs at a cadence reflecting private sector needs. This position will be embedded within ILAB. The Junior Economist’s main point of contact will be the Senior Economist within the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary (ODUS)  position is expected, under guidance, to engage regularly and substantively with economists within the Labor Department, other U.S. government agencies, academia, trade associations, organized labor groups, and research institutions.

• A minimum master’s degree in economics with a concentration in microeconomics, trade, labor economics, applied economics, development economics, or a combination of these specializations.

• 2+ years of demonstrated expertise with a focus on trade theory and microeconomic labor employment and wage issues using experimental methodologies and behavioral economic insights to estimate the impact of U.S. government interventions combating foreign abusive labor and unfair trade practices on American jobs, wages and profits.

• 2+ years of research expertise in labor and/or trade economics, using advanced quantitative data analytics and experimental design and an ability to engage and expand upon the growing discipline of economic statecraft across the whole of the U.S. government.

• Security Clearance:
  Obtain low-level security clearance (U.S. citizenship, having resided in the U.S. for the past 2 years, and ability to perform the work of this position from a location within the United States)

• A recent Ph.D. graduate or postdoctoral researcher in economics, with a concentration in microeconomics, trade, labor economics, applied economics, development economics, or a combination of these specializations.

• Demonstrated familiarity with U.S. trade policy and trade geopolitics.

• Expertise in wrangling and analyzing large datasets from the U.S. and foreign national statistical offices is highly valued…