The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is now soliciting interest for unpaid, part-time Interns in the Bureau of Economics starting in January 2026. This is a great opportunity for juniors and seniors with coursework in Economics, Statistics, Data Science, or Computer Science.
Duties
In this role, you will gain real-world experience by working alongside PhD economists to protect consumers and promote competition in the US economy. Interns work with economists to support FTC matters, including:
- providing economic and statistical analysis in support of antitrust investigations, consumer protection cases, and rulemaking;
- conducting academic research and developing reports on the functioning of markets in the economy.
The ideal candidate for this position has
- providing economic and statistical analysis in support of antitrust investigations, consumer protection cases, and rulemaking;
- conducting academic research and developing reports on the functioning of markets in the economy.
The ideal candidate for this position has
- A strong interest in and intuition for applied microeconomics;
- Proficiency in programming languages widely used in economics, statistics, and/or data science such as Stata, R, or Python;
- Excitement about conducting data analysis on a wide range of datasets in support of consumer protection and competition missions of the FTC;
- Interest and aptitude in working with PhD economists on economics research projects that serve the mission of the FTC; and
- A desire to grow and build on skills in data analysis and microeconomics.
Position details
- Proficiency in programming languages widely used in economics, statistics, and/or data science such as Stata, R, or Python;
- Excitement about conducting data analysis on a wide range of datasets in support of consumer protection and competition missions of the FTC;
- Interest and aptitude in working with PhD economists on economics research projects that serve the mission of the FTC; and
- A desire to grow and build on skills in data analysis and microeconomics.
Position details
All recruitment is for positions starting January 2026 for a position overlapping with the academic term, through to the beginning of Summer 2026.
The job location will be on site at the FTC Headquarters Building in Washington DC.
Candidates should plan to be on-site part-time at the FTC during the duration of the internship. The specific schedule can be arranged upon hiring.
How to apply
The job location will be on site at the FTC Headquarters Building in Washington DC.
Candidates should plan to be on-site part-time at the FTC during the duration of the internship. The specific schedule can be arranged upon hiring.
How to apply
Send a resume, cover letter, and unofficial transcript to econ_interns@ftc.gov
The deadline for applications is 10/15/2025.
In the event of a government shutdown we will review applications as soon as we can upon return to office.
Tips for the application
The deadline for applications is 10/15/2025.
In the event of a government shutdown we will review applications as soon as we can upon return to office.
Tips for the application
Cover letter: A strong cover letter will include the following:
- A discussion of your interest in economics and the FTC.
- Details on your experience with statistics, econometrics, and programming, including through coursework, class projects, employment, or any other experience.
- Details about your interest and experience with economic research, including any noteworthy projects, employment, or oral presentations.
- Details about your interest and experience in public policy, including in any topics related to antitrust or consumer protection, though these are not required.
- Any other relevant experience or interest.
- Details on your experience with statistics, econometrics, and programming, including through coursework, class projects, employment, or any other experience.
- Details about your interest and experience with economic research, including any noteworthy projects, employment, or oral presentations.
- Details about your interest and experience in public policy, including in any topics related to antitrust or consumer protection, though these are not required.
- Any other relevant experience or interest.
