Economist

About the Role

The Economist Service serves as the leading economist body within Singapore's public sector, aiming to cultivate a group of expert economists to enhance economic analysis and thereby improve public policy outcomes.

Economists in this service contribute their analytical expertise across numerous Ministries and agencies, including but not limited to the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Finance, Manpower, Social and Family Development, Health, and Sustainability and the Environment. Their work informs a broad spectrum of public policies encompassing economic, fiscal, socio-economic, health, security, and infrastructure domains.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyze developments in both the global and domestic economies, assessing impacts such as supply chain shifts on local economic conditions.
• Conduct economic research focusing on issues pertinent to public policy, such as evaluating government initiatives' effects at firm and individual levels.
• Support public policy planning and execution, including assessments of projects like those in tourism.

Initially, economists typically join the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Economics Division, tackling diverse topics such as economic growth metrics, inflation, business costs, trade policies, industrial strategy, corporate capabilities, labor market dynamics, productivity, and innovation. They are also expected to build competencies in data science techniques for research and analysis.

Candidate Profile

• Holds a degree or higher in Economics or related quantitative fields such as Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Data Analytics, or Engineering.
• Demonstrates a strong enthusiasm for empirical research and proven ability in handling complex quantitative problems.
• Possesses robust quantitative skills including econometrics, data science, forecasting, policy modeling, simulation, and impact evaluation.
• Exhibits excellent communication skills that enable clear and logical expression of complex concepts.
• Experienced with statistical and programming tools like STATA, R, or Python.

Application Requirements

Applicants should provide educational certificates and academic transcripts from A Levels or Diploma onwards, including unofficial versions if applicable. Submission of coursework projects or theses in Economics is encouraged for further reference.