The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures labor market activity, working conditions, price changes, and productivity in the U.S. economy to support public and private decision making. The position is located in the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Compensation and Working Conditions.
You must meet the Basic Requirements and the Minimum Qualifications to qualify for the Research Mathematical Statistician, GS-1529-12, as described below. Basic Requirements A) Degree: that included 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, of which at least 12 semester hours were in mathematics and 6 semester hours were in statistics. OR B) Combination of education and experience -- at least 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, including at least 12 hours in mathematics and 6 hours in statistics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Evaluation of Education: Courses acceptable toward meeting the mathematics course requirement of A or B above must have included at least four of the following: differential calculus, integral calculus, advanced calculus, theory of equations, vector analysis, advanced algebra, linear algebra, mathematical logic, differential equations, or any other advanced course in mathematics for which one of these was a prerequisite. Courses in mathematical statistics or probability theory with a prerequisite of elementary calculus or more advanced courses will be accepted toward meeting the mathematics requirements, with the provision that the same course cannot be counted toward both the mathematics and the statistics requirement. Evaluation of Experience: The experience offered in combination with educational courses to meet the requirements in B above should include evidence of statistical work such as (a) sampling, (b) collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data, and (c) applying known statistical techniques to data such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance. Without other indications of statistical experience, work required in the processing of numerical or quantified information by other than statistical methods is not considered appropriate qualifying experience. AND Minimum Qualifications Applicants must meet one the requirements for Education, Specialized Experience, or a combination of Education and Specialized Experience as follows: Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Education will be credited for candidates who will complete all doctoral degree requirements by the end of spring semester 2026. OR Specialized Experience: applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, i.e. GS-11, in the Federal Service. Applicants qualifying based upon specialized experience must demonstrate at least two of the following examples: Used basic statistical and programming tools to help improve data results for assigned projects; Applied standard statistical methods to support improvements in the quality of program work. Worked with team members on basic data analysis, writing tasks, programming, and other routine duties. OR Education and Specialized Experience: graduate education completed beyond an appropriate master's or equivalent graduate degree may be combined with less than one year of specialized experience only when it is applied toward a qualifying doctoral program. The percentage of education credited is calculated based on the requirements of the doctoral institution. NOTE: In alignment with the Presidential Memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, applicants may only submit a resume limited to two (2) pages. Only the résumé uploaded under the 'Resume" document type in USAJOBS will be reviewed. If the resume submitted exceeds two (2) pages, the application will be deemed ineligible for further consideration.
Duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Apply advanced mathematical and statistical techniques such as sample design, estimation, variance estimation, disclosure avoidance, data linkage, and small-area/domain estimation. Conduct research studies to develop or improve sampling and estimation strategies for BLS programs Enhance efficiency and quality of the statistical products using scientific, statistical, computational, and predictive techniques (e.g., regression analysis, modeling, mathematical programming). Document and disseminate research findings to appropriate internal and external audiences, ensuring clarity and accuracy. Serve as a technical consultant to program offices and staff on statistical methodology, data science techniques, and analytic tools. Collaborate with IT and survey processing offices to ensure proposed statistical or data science solutions are feasible within system constraints. Advise leadership and program staff on the advantages, limitations, and applicability of statistical and data science approaches. Provide training, presentations, and technical seminars to internal or external audiences on statistical methods and data science concepts. Stay current with developments in statistical methods, technologies, and programming languages and incorporate new techniques into ongoing research. Engage in outreach and collaboration with other agencies and research organizations to exchange methodological insights and stay aware of emerging techniques. Use statistical software and computing tools (e.g., SAS, R, Stata, Python, Excel) to analyze data, implement methodologies, and support research activities. Lead or coordinate research teams or project groups (applies more heavily to GS-13 and GS-14) to plan, manage, and complete complex methodological projects.