Government Economist

Every government requires economists to inform their decision-making and to make predictions for the future. The Government Economic Service employs over 3,000 people to:

analyse evidence to inform national policy
advise on choices and alternatives
advise on how markets work
advise on macro-economic policy
bridge the gaps between academia and government

Government Economists work across the various Civil Service departments and agencies in the UK (you can find the full list here). This means you can choose whether you want a job that is more macro or micro-focused, as well as specialise in a particular area of interest (e.g. behaviour economics, competition policy and regulation, public health, welfare and employment etc.) Traditionally, a lot of jobs were based in London, however most departments are now based in multiple locations and these are spread across the UK (including quite a few in Sheffield!)

Recruitment

There are two ways to apply to become a Government Economist:

Fast Stream

Applications typically open in early Autumn and have a relatively short deadline for submission. If successful, graduates spend up to three years working in different departments in preparation for leadership roles.

Visit the GES Fast Stream website for up to date information, including eligibility criteria and the various stages of the application process

Assistant Economist Stream (also known as the “Mainstream”)

Applications usually open in the Spring, after the Fast Stream vacancies have been filled. The main difference is that your early career experience isn’t focused on accelerated progression to leadership roles. However, this doesn’t mean that graduates who started as Assistant Economists don’t progress to the same level as those who completed the Fast Stream

You can apply for this scheme if you have been unsuccessful in your Fast Stream application.

Visit the Assistant Economist Scheme website for up to date information, including eligibility criteria and the various stages of the application process

Work experience

The Government Economic Service offers 12-month “sandwich” placements that students complete between their second and third year, which is designed to give students a taste of what working as a Government Economist is really like. During your 12 months, you will be a real member of the team, working on issues that society faces, and influencing policy decisions. The scheme also comes with a guaranteed interview for our graduate schemes.

Applications usually open in early Autumn and have a relatively short deadline for submission. Visit the GES Sandwich Student Placement Scheme website for more information.

There are also shorter summer placements available (which 6-12 weeks) - these are usually advertised in the Spring. Visit the GES Sandwich Student Placement Scheme website for more information.

Other opportunities

There are other Civil Service Fast Stream schemes that you could consider, including these that actively recruit Economics graduates:

Diplomatic & Development Economics
Government Statistical Service

Visit the Fast Stream website for the full list of schemes.

There are also lots of opportunities outside of the Civil Service that you could consider, such as working for a profit-making organisation (aka "the private" sector) or a policy/research institute. Vacancies will be advertised on the general student and graduate recruitment websites - visit our finding opportunities page for further information.

Further information

Watch this video from our recent GES Information Session to learn more about the two different graduate routes, hear from a recruiter about what they look for in successful candidates and what it’s like to do a summer placement with the GES.

Ben Phillips

BSc Economics, 2019

I joined the DWP through the GES Mainstream shortly after I graduated. After a year of working as an Assistant Economist conducting labour market analysis, I successfully applied for an internal promotion and became a Senior Assistant Economist. I currently work in the Strategic Analysis team, providing analytical support to our policy teams and ministers on the key issues facing the labour market.

A typical day usually consists of meeting with stakeholders or other analysts, and carrying out data analysis to produce graphs and presentations, or using software like SAS to do more technical analysis on the microdata (such as regressions). This could be for long-term projects or for inclusion in a meeting or public speech by a government minister (often with a very short deadline!) I really enjoy the fact that I become a mini-expert on a certain policy or topic.

I am able to use my degree on a daily basis - the most relevant to my job being theories from core macro and micro, as well as labour economics. I have also made good use of my econometrics class by being able to run regressions.

If I were to offer any advice to a current student interested in becoming a Government Economist, it would be to practice working with data, especially on Excel. This is one area that I didn't do so much as a student, but is a daily task of every junior economist. The UK Data Archive is a great data repository that you can sign up to for free, which gives you access to the same datasets that are used by academics and government.

I was also on the Economics Society committee and responsible for organising sponsorships (mainly from the bars on West St). This gave me some good examples to use in interviews about working with other people and being organised. But any part time job should also give you plenty of examples and experience!

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