PhD Traineeship in the Directorate General Economics – Supply Side, Labour and Surveillance Division

Finance & Economy

Overview

Contribute to empirical analyses on the euro area labour market and economic growth.

You have:

• A master's degree and at least two years of PhD studies in economics, finance, statistics, data science or a related field.
• A sound understanding of macroeconomics and the economic and institutional context of the ECB's mandate.
• Excellent knowledge of state-of-the-art modelling tools and econometric techniques or data analytics.
• Programming skills in one or more of MATLAB, Stata, Python, R or Julia.
• A good knowledge of the MS Office package.
• Advanced command of English (C1) and intermediate command of at least one other official language of the EU (B1).
• Experience in applied microeconometrics for the labour market, corporate finance and firm dynamics, or applied time series for empirical macroeconomics.
• Curiosity and eagerness to learn.
• Ability to analyse complex information.
• A motivation to contribute to the ECB’s mission.

General Information

Type of contract PhD traineeship

Who can apply? EU nationals eligible for our traineeship programme

Grant The trainee grant is €2,120 per month plus an accommodation allowance (see further information section)

Working time Full time

Place of work Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Closing date 31.10.2025

Your team You will be part of the Supply Side, Labour and Surveillance Division in the Directorate General Economics. We are a team of around 30 experts responsible for conducting analysis of the euro area labour market and long-term drivers of economic growth, including productivity, as well as cross-country analysis of macroeconomic vulnerabilities. We also look at economic issues relating to EU governance, with a focus on Next Generation EU and the deepening of Economic and Monetary Union. Our most recent work has focused on the drivers of labour market developments, the role of structural changes (such as digitalisation, demographic changes and climate change) in the euro area economy and the impact of government policies to support the economy.

In your role as a PhD trainee, you will contribute to empirical work in the areas of labour markets, firm productivity, long-term drivers of economic growth and macroeconomic risks and vulnerabilities in the euro area.

The ECB is an inclusive employer and we strive to reflect the diversity of the population we serve. We encourage you to apply irrespective of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or other characteristics.

Your role As a PhD trainee you will:

- support the Division’s analytical agenda on key policy questions; - conduct empirical analyses using state-of-the-art economic and econometric models; - help to enhance analytical, econometric and forecasting tools under the supervision of ECB experts; - have the opportunity to submit the resulting papers for publication in the ECB’s Working Paper Series and academic journals.

You will be expected to complete your tasks using your own initiative and to work largely autonomously under the supervision of an expert. You will have access to the ECB’s library, as well as to computing and statistical resources. You will also have access to most ECB-organised conferences and internal seminars.

The traineeship offers you excellent opportunities to develop your skills by using state-of-the-art modelling and econometric techniques and to contribute to policy work that is highly relevant to the Division’s economic assessments. You will be part of a multicultural team that strives for continuous innovation to make a positive impact on the lives of European citizens.

Qualifications, experience and skills Essential:

- a master’s degree and at least two years of PhD studies in economics, finance, statistics, data science or a related field; - a sound understanding of, and theoretical background in, macroeconomics and the economic and institutional context in which the ECB fulfils its mandate; - excellent knowledge of, and a track record in, state-of-the-art modelling tools and econometric techniques or data analytics; - programming skills in one or more of the following software packages: MATLAB, Stata, Python, R or Julia; - a good knowledge of the MS Office package; - an advanced (C1) command of English and an intermediate (B1) command of at least one other official language of the EU, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Desired:

- experience in one of the following: applied microeconometrics for the labour market, corporate finance and firm dynamics; applied time series for empirical macroeconomics; panel data analysis for empirical macroeconomics; dynamic stochastic general equilibrium modelling (including heterogeneous agent models); machine learning techniques.

You are curious and eager to learn, and want to further develop your ability to analyse complex information. You are keen to collaborate with others, pursue team goals and learn from other people’s diverse perspectives. You strive to know and anticipate stakeholder needs, and will signal any need for change and propose alternative solutions.

You are motivated to contribute to the ECB’s mission, to serve the citizens of the EU as a member of a public institution and to work with colleagues from all over Europe. You are keen to be part of our team and to use your skills and competencies to achieve the aims of this position.

Further information Initial PhD traineeship of four months, with a possible extension to up to 12 months in total. The traineeship is expected to start in 2026.

Other details on the conditions applicable to traineeships at the ECB can be found on our website.

For additional information on this specific vacancy, you can speak to Claudia Foroni, on +49 (0)69 1344 95672 between 11:00 and 12:00 on Thursday, 23 October.

Application and selection process The recruitment process for this position will include an online interview.

Further information on how to apply is available on our website.

If you are not selected for this position but are still considered suitable, you will be placed on a reserve list for 12 months from the closing date for applications, from which you might be considered for other traineeship positions within the ECB.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 9 months ago - Updated 8 months ago - Source: ecb.europa.eu