Department of Economics

Job title: Economist/Analyst Recruitment and Development Program

Targeted degrees and disciplines:  Master’s in economics

Position type: Full-time

Job openings: Several openings available

Region: National Capital Region – Ottawa-Gatineau

Start date: Flexible

Vaccination requirement

All employees of the core public administration are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and attest to their vaccination status unless accommodated based on a medical contraindication, religion, or another prohibited ground for discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act. 

Job summary

At Statistics Canada, you’ll be a part of an agency that takes seriously its mission to provide Canadians with high-quality statistical information that matters.

One of the ways this information is provided is through the compilation of the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (CSMA), which integrates various forms of information to paint a picture of the structure and evolution of Canada’s economy.  This is done using international macroeconomic accounting standards, resulting in a highly relevant, integrated and international comparable set of macroeconomic measures such as GDP by industry and the input-output tables.

This is where the Industry Accounts Division (IAD) comes in.  Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely information on the structure and trends of the Canadian economy. IAD tracks the evolution of industries and how they use goods, services, labour and capital to produce outputs and how these outputs are consumed by different economic agents.

Some of the organizations that seek Statistics Canada’s advice and make use of its information include: the  Bank of Canada, the Department of Finance, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and various other federal, provincial, territorial and municipal government departments, to name a few.

IAD strives to challenge its employee with meaningful assignments to both enhance their analytical and technical skills and to provide value to our programs.  New employees work with senior staff, are granted appropriate learning opportunities and are encouraged to ask questions and provide suggestions or new ideas. 

Job responsibilities

As an Economist/Analyst recruit at IAD, you will have the opportunity to conduct analyses of socio-economic trends and developments, to assess the feasibility and impact of new or modified statistical methods and assist in the preparation of analytical material for internal use and publication purposes.

Here are examples of task you will be performing:

• Compiling estimates using various data sources consistent with the concepts and methods of the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts
• Analysing estimates via outlier analysis, time series analysis, structural analysis and confrontation with external data sources (tax data, external publications, statistical surveys, etc.)
• Producing documentation supporting the estimates (e.g. major economic events, changes in data sources or methods)
• Participating in a special project (for example, developing data visualisation products, researching alternative indicators and estimation methods, or rationalizing and automating processes)

Required skills

• Ability to interpret and summarise economic information
• Ability to manage multiple priorities
• Ability to work as part of a team and with minimal supervision
• Ability to communicate effectively (oral and written)
• Attention to detail and thoroughness
• Programming abilities in standard statistical software like Stata, SAS, python, R, advanced Excel, etc.

Additional information

• Security clearance required
• Hiring preference for Canadian citizens and permanent residents

Compensation and benefits

• The selected candidates will be offered employment with a work week of 37.5 hours
• Annual Rate of Pay at entry level is 62,168$
• Three weeks of vacation leave, increasing with years of service
• Special leave for education, maternity/paternity, etc.
• Sick leave
• Dental care and health-care plans
• Registered pension plan

Career development and training

• Statistics Canada gives high priority to human resource training and development. Employees are encouraged to develop their interests and are supported throughout their career. Statistics Canada offers a complete, well-organized development program in both official languages.
  • Recruits in the Economist/Analyst stream start at the EC-02 level and are generally promoted to the EC-04 level after one year, subject to good performance. The Economist/Analyst Recruitment and Development Program at Statistics Canada combines practical, on the job experience (rotational assignments) with formal training. Recruits acquire the knowledge and skills to move from entry level to working/graduation level positions. Generally, recruits spend a minimum of 24 months in the program.
  • What will an Economist/Analyst recruit learn/acquire in IAD?
    • Knowledge of the System of National Accounts
    • Experience in developing economic statistics as per international standard guidelines
    • Experience in analysing current economic information
    • Experience working with large statistical databases, including: data integration, data confrontation and data analysis
    • Experience in collaborating effectively with information providers and data users
    • Exposure to statistical models and various informatics tools

Additional application information

• Canadian citizens and permanent residents can apply.
• At Statistics Canada, you will work with colleagues who speak English and/or French. All managers at Statistics Canada are expected to be able to work in both official languages, and all staff are encouraged to become bilingual and make use of both English and French in all aspects of their work. However, bilingualism is not a criterion for recruitment. Training in the other official language (in-house courses and courses given by public or private training institutions) is encouraged and supported by Statistics Canada.
• All economist/analyst positions are located at Statistics Canada's head office in Ottawa. You will be working at Tunney’s Pasture, a complex of government offices surrounded by scenic green space about two kilometres west of downtown Ottawa, along the Ottawa River.
• If you need to move to Ottawa expenses related to relocation up to $5,000 are usually covered by Statistics Canada.
• Interested candidates must provide their resume, a copy of their degree and a sample of their academic work.
• On October 6, 2021, the Government of Canada announced details of its plans to require vaccination across the federal public service. As per the new Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, federal public servants in the Core Public Administration and members of the RCMP must attest to their vaccination status. The requirement for employees to be fully vaccinated applies whether they are teleworking, working remotely or working on-site.  This is a condition of employment and it applies to indeterminate (permanent), determinate (term), casual, and student hiring.  Should you reach the point in the selection process where it is necessary to verify terms and conditions of employment then the hiring manager or a human resources representative will contact you in order to complete an attestation.