Institute For Fiscal Studies
Research Economist
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At IFS
At IFS, we recruit and develop top-quality economists. We specialise in the microeconomic analysis of public policy, bridging the gap between purely academic research and issues of practical policy design or evaluation. As a new recruit, you will carry out in-depth economic research and communicate your findings to politicians, journalists, academics and others such as campaigning groups and professional organisations.
We will support you in developing your skills, through formal and on the job training and by giving you opportunities to get involved with all aspects of research and communication right from the start.
If you join us with an undergraduate degree but no further degree - as many do - you will be encouraged to study part-time for a master’s degree in economics with financial support from the Institute. Your fees will be paid (up to a cap at the UK level) by IFS, and you will receive a mixture of paid and unpaid leave to attend classes and to study.
Staff who hold a master’s degree have the option to undertake part-time study towards a PhD in Economics, with financial support provided.
We welcome applications from:
- those expecting to graduate with an extremely good degree in economics or related degree with a significant economics component (e.g. economics and mathematics, or a degree with economics as a major);
- graduates with an extremely good degree in economics (or related degree) who are expecting to complete an MSc (or equivalent) in economics; or
- exceptional economists with some experience in research, academia, public or private sectors.
Candidates who are studying for or have completed a PhD are also welcome to apply and will be considered for a Research Economist role. If you consider it relevant, please include information about your doctoral research in the on-line application form; you may include a link to a website where your papers are available.
IFS researchers have established a strong record in the analysis of public policies in the UK and elsewhere, including developing countries. Applicants should therefore have studied economics in considerable depth and should be strongly motivated by an interest in economics and its practical application.
Research Economists
Research Economists are paid on a scale, currently £44,500 to £67,000. A new graduate with no previous experience can expect to start on £44,500; a candidate with a master’s degree would start at around £48,000. Offers to candidates with a PhD or significant other experience are on this scale, with the point subject to experience.
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Any offer of employment is subject to the eligibility to work in the UK. The role is eligible for a Skilled Worker visa, and the IFS will support the application for relevant candidates where needed.
Application process
IFS uses BeApplied, a job application platform designed to encourage applicants from all backgrounds and to decrease bias in the hiring process. The application form is in four parts:
1. Diversity
The application form initially gathers diversity information; BeApplied collect this at the start of the application, as they have found it is more likely to be completed by candidates at this stage. But you do not have to answer these questions or allow this information to be included in the aggregate statistics if you prefer not to.
The diversity information is not linked to candidate’s individual application details: we use it to track the aggregate characteristics of applicants and their progress through the application process, year on year. It helps us understand which groups of people apply to IFS and consider how our recruitment practices affect this.
2. Information about you
As well as practical information, such as contact details, visa status and any reasonable adjustments needed, we also collect information about academic performance at school and university. Because a large component of the role is academic research in economics, this information about performance will contribute to our shortlisting decisions.
You will need to provide details of all the modules you took, or are currently taking, during any past and current degrees. If you have or are doing a doctoral degree or have previous research experience, there is an opportunity to provide more information about your publications or other research outputs.
Candidates will also be asked to upload their CVs.
3. Suitability question
A further question is included to help us judge your suitability for the role. This question will ask why you are interested in public policy research and in a career at IFS in particular.
4. Numeracy test
As part of the application process, we also ask you to take short online numeracy test. These tests will be used as additional information, used in combination with the information you provided on your application form. The results of these tests will be reviewed alongside your application form when shortlisting candidates.
Once you have started your application form, you will receive an email with a link to the numeracy tests, which you can complete when you are ready. The deadline for completion of the aptitude test is the same as the application, so please bear this in mind when completing your application form.
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The test must be completed in a limited time. Should you have any extenuating circumstances or disabilities we need to be aware of, let us know via email at jobs@ifs.org.uk, and we will be able to give you extra time to complete the tests.
Completion of the numeracy test is a mandatory part of the application process. Applications that are submitted without a completed test will not be considered.
How we shortlist
Shortlisters will initially read and score the answers to the suitability question. These will be anonymised and read separately from the other information about candidates.
At the next stage, these scores, as well as the online test score, will be available along with the full candidate information you have provided: the scores will be considered, alongside your academic performance, to reach an initial longlist of candidates.
Shortlisters will use all the information above to invite a pool of candidates to interview. A first round of interviews, composed of two separate panels, will ask candidates to consider a set of economic questions.
A smaller group of candidates will be invited back to a second interview. In this round, candidates will complete an economic reasoning task based on materials provided on the day of the interview, followed by delivering a presentation on a topic that they will have been asked to prepare and submit in advance.
More information about our selection process and interviews can be found here.
Interviews will generally be conducted in person at our offices in central London. First round interviews for people based outside the United Kingdom will occur online. All second round interviews will occur at our offices.
Saving the application
You will be able to save the application and return to complete it later if you want to. You’ll receive an email when you save the form with a link to return to it.
Timeline
The dates of the recruitment stages may change subject to business needs, and additional steps may be added to the process where needed.
- First round interviews – 16th to 19th November 2026
- Candidates invited to a second round will be given a presentation to prepare with a deadline of 30th November 2026.
- Second round in person interviews from 30th November to 4th December 2026.
Successful candidates can expect to start working at the IFS in Autumn 2027, with flexibility for an earlier start to be discussed.
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