Economics Stream

Register your interest

Our economics graduates are involved in the core work of the department and are given real responsibility with support from the team from the start.

Our program

Our economics graduates are engaged across the whole department with rotation opportunities available in policy, program delivery and technical areas. Graduates are involved in conducting evidence-based research and analysis which supports our Ministers and other stakeholders and enables them to make well-informed decisions.

“There are lots of interesting and important national issues that our economic graduates play a key role in analysing. These include working on economic research and analysis to address questions such as:

• Where do we see people facing disadvantage in the labour market, and what do we know about these people that would help us to target our support and assistance most effectively?
• Where do we see employers facing skills shortages and real difficulty in finding workers with the right skills and experience? What role could things like increased training, skilled migration, and more attractive wages and working conditions each play in attracting more highly skilled workers and helping to solve these skills shortages?
• Which parts of the vocational education and training system lead to very strong employment and wages outcomes?”

Cliff Bingham, Assistant Secretary, Jobs and Skills Australia

As an economics graduate, you can:

• Help shape economic and policy deliberations on diverse topics.
• Contribute towards analysis that helps support disadvantaged labour market cohorts such as young workers, the long-term unemployed, those with a disability, and mature aged workers.
• Further develop your technical skills via exposure to diverse analytical techniques, economic models, and complex datasets.
• Be mentored by some of the best economists, labour market analysts, data scientists, and policy analysts within the public service — our economics graduates have a strong track record of promotion and career progression, with many previous graduates going on to senior positions in the department and other agencies such as the Treasury and the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Want more information about what a day in the life of an economic graduate looks like? Read the factsheet for more information.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for graduates who are enthusiastic, energetic and have a strong background in economics, econometrics or other relevant fields such as finance, commerce, mathematics, statistics, data science or engineering. We are seeking candidates who have a strong work ethic, strong written and oral communication skills, and well-developed interpersonal skills.

In addition to the eligibility criteria for graduates in the generalist stream, we are looking for graduates who have:

• Tertiary qualifications in economics, econometrics, or another relevant field of study such as finance, commerce, mathematics, statistics, data science or engineering.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills, including the ability to actively engage with co-workers and stakeholders.
• Enthusiasm and a fresh-thinking attitude that is open to learning and innovation. Candidates from these fields may be required to demonstrate their aptitude and understanding of economic concepts in their applications and assessment.

How to apply

We are a participating agency in the AGGP Economics Graduate Stream which is part of the Australian Government Graduate Program (AGGP). Applications for the AGGP economics stream are now closed. If you are interested in joining the program in 2026, you can register your interest and be the first to know when applications open.

If you have any questions, please email entrylevel@dewr.gov.au.