Home Office

Why join the Home Office?

Being an Economist at the Home Office is an exciting, challenging and rewarding role. You’ll be applying economics in innovative ways to the areas of crime, policing and migration and making a real impact on policy in one of the highest profile departments across government. What’s more, you’ll receive one of the most comprehensive & generous training & benefits packages around, with a real chance of rapid and significant career progression into roles across the civil service.

Being an economist at the Home Office has allowed me to apply my knowledge of economics in an applied setting, in a way that really makes a difference. I have had the opportunity to contribute to presentations given by the Chief Economist and reports that are for senior members of the department. Applying advanced econometric techniques seemed daunting at first but the Home Office happily provided all of the training required.

Sam, Assistant Economist, Core Team

Since joining the Home Office as a new Assistant Economist 18 months ago I have had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects for a number of different policy units within the Home Office. In particular, I had the opportunity to help colleagues in drugs policy to assess the impact of the reclassification of cannabis on the criminal justice system. This was a really interesting and enjoyable, yet very challenging piece of work.

Helen, Assistant Economist, Core Team

Having returned from completing my masters at LSE (sponsored by the Home Office) I joined the UKBA economist team. The work has been very fast paced and truly fascinating. I’ve recently been working on the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill, providing objective cost benefit analyses to support the Bill – most of which has now been published in Impact Assessments accompanying the Bill as it proceeds through parliament.

Jeremy, Assistant Economist, Embedded in the UK Border Agency

I joined the Home office on promotion to Economic Advisor and now work in the organised crime team. I work together with non-researchers modelling drugs markets, researching fraud and providing advice to law makers on how best to tackle organised crime. It has been a huge challenge but I know the work I do has been incorporated into law and policy and has made a real difference.

Ben, Economic Advisor, Embedded in Organised Crime Policy Team

Pay & Conditions (2009/10)

  • Assistant Economist: £26,885 to £33,953 p.a. + £3,020 for London Allowance and £2k for a relevant MSc.
  • Summer and Sandwich year Placements: Approximately £1100 per month.
  • Generous T&D for promotion to Economic Advisor: £51,999-£66,339. One of the highest salary packages in the GES.
  • 36 hr week & 27.5 days leave a year
  • Final salary pension option
  • Flexible working hours
  • Gym, Sports Hall, Recreation & Therapy Rooms, Cafés, Restaurant, Activities Room, Sports & Recreation Clubs and Teams
    About us

The Economics & Resource Analysis Group (ERA) in the Home Office is a mix of 40 professional economists and operational researchers that provides advice, analysis & support to all Home Office policy areas and the strategic centre.

What we do

There are approximately 20 economists in the core team within ERA working across all policy areas. There are also around 10 economists working in embedded posts throughout the Home Office – each specialising in & giving detailed support to a specific policy area.

Crime and Policing

  • At the leading edge of work on estimating the economic and social costs of crime.
  • Use econometrics to model trends in crime & offender behaviour.
  • Appraise and evaluate the interventions related to drugs, alcohol and police effectiveness.
  •  Embedded economists work in organised crime, alcohol and police finance policy units.

 Identity & Security

  • Understanding the costs and benefits of identity control.
  • Provide the economic and econometric analysis for a number of restricted/secret projects in important Home Office policy areas.
  • Work on strategic futures analysis.
  • Appraisal and evaluation of policy initiatives.

Migration

  • Analysis of the macroeconomic impacts of migration.
  • Analysis of the impact of migration flows and the labour market effects.
  • Appraisal and evaluation of managed migration policy (eg. asylum policy and citizenship).
  • Embedded economists work directly for the UK Border Agency.

Cross-cutting support to the Home Office Strategic Centre

Provide economic advice and support across all areas of Home Office business, such as appraisal of Impact Assessments and the assessment of major investment projects.

Training and development

Up to 2 scholarships for Masters level study available per annum. 90% course fees paid up to a maximum of £9,000 and 2/3 salary if studying full time. Part time study is also available. Subject to terms & conditions. National School of Government and GES approved courses on micro, macro and econometrics.

Routes in

Assistant Economists

Successful applicants are members of both the Government Economic Service and the Civil Service Fast Stream, and are assessed against competencies required by both. Forms of assessment include online aptitude tests, presentations, interviews, and written exercises. You may also apply as a provisional assistant economist with the expectation that you will apply for a permanent placement and go through the Fast Stream Assessment Centre within 12 months.

Economic Advisors

Applicants will need to demonstrate substantial current experience as a professional economist and have obtained at least a 2:1 economics degree or a Masters degree in economics. Forms of assessment include presentations, interviews and written exercises and candidates will be expected to demonstrate the core competences required for everyone at this grade.

Summer and Sandwich year Placement Scheme

This is a scheme designed primarily for penultimate year university students seeking to gain experience of working as an economist in government. Successful candidates on the summer placement scheme work for 6-8 weeks on a project. Sandwich students could work on a number of projects during their year in the Home Office.

Residency requirement

These posts are open to UK Nationals, British Nationals (Overseas), British Protected Persons, Commonwealth Citizens, EEA Nationals of other member states and certain non EEA family members and Swiss nationals under the Swiss EU agreement.  There must be no employment restriction or time limit on your permitted stay in the UK.  You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for 3 years preceding your application.

For more information on roles with the Home Office, please contact Anne Brooks (Tel: 0207 035 1189, Email: anne.brooks@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk).