MASTER’S NOTEBOOK
Statistical Opportunities Abound in
Federal Government
Juanita Tamayo Lott, U.S. Census Bureau and Committee on Applied Statisticians
A
statistical perspective is paramount
in a world that must understand,
measure, and act on risk and uncer-
tainty. Federal statisticians routinely pro-
vide such perspective to decisionmakers.
They aid understanding and help resolve
real-life problems by providing a range of
high-quality demographic and socioeco-
nomic data to policymakers and other data
users. Applied statisticians for every level—
entry, mid, and senior—are found through-
out the federal government, especially those
who are U.S. citizens with master’s degrees
or who are seeking such degrees. They work
in interdisciplinary teams in the United
States and abroad, providing benchmark
and current measures in health and safety;
social and demographic statistics; natural
resources, energy, and environmental statis-
tics; and economic studies.
For example, there are three types of
applied statisticians at the U.S. Census
Bureau: economist/analyst, social sci-
entist/demographer, and mathematical
statistician. Economists/analysts develop
data on various types of business estab-
lishments, such as the number of video
rental stores and breweries in the United
States, and gather foreign trade statistics, statistical methods. These include statisti- level. Federal statisticians are encouraged to
such as U.S. trade with other countries cal modeling, sampling, and estimation; present their research to professional and
and import/export data. Social scientists/ record linkage; time series modeling and scientific bodies, including those at the
demographers create official national sta- seasonal adjustment; and demographic international Joint Statistical Meetings.
tistics on population trends drawn from forecasting. Career ladders and promotion The federal government is a leader in
survey, census, and administrative data potential with opportunities for leader- using technology such as telecommuting
and provide international technical assis- ship are routine for these positions. and flexible schedules to balance work and
tance on censuses, surveys, and population Ongoing learning and collaboration family life. Its employee package includes
analysis. Both also design, implement, and is crucial for federal statisticians now competitive salaries with generous ben-
maintain the samples and frames for the that there is greater integration of survey, efits and flexibility. Federal agencies with
federal government’s principal economic census, administrative, geospatial, and major statistical programs include agri-
and household sample surveys. Providing other data nationally and internation- culture, commerce, defense, education,
guidance to theoretical and mathemati- ally. Through programs such as the Joint energy, health and human services, home-
cal statistical problems, mathematical Program in Survey Methodology, federal land security, interior, justice, labor, state,
statisticians conduct cutting-edge research statistical agencies fund a pipeline pri- treasury, and veteran’s affairs. The Social
in a variety of areas and are on the fore- marily for federal statisticians and other Security Administration also provides sta-
front of developing new and improved applied statisticians, many at the master’s tistical programs. n
JANUARY 2008 AMSTAT NEWS 23
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