OECD Research Internship in Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Apply by 4 September 2026

The OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (ELS) is offering a research-oriented internship for a highly qualified and motivated student with a background in economics or applied social sciences.

The internship is based within the Jobs and Income Division of ELS, the team responsible for important OECD research on labour markets, employment, job quality and working conditions. The role provides an opportunity to work alongside economists on research examining labour shortages and workers’ preferences, while gaining experience in an international policy and research environment.

The internship is particularly suited to students with strong quantitative research, econometric, analytical and writing skills who are interested in applied labour economics and evidence-based policymaking.

Internship Overview

The intern will contribute to a new research project examining why labour shortages persist in certain occupations and sectors and how workers value different characteristics of jobs.

The project uses an original survey incorporating a discrete choice experiment to investigate workers’ preferences regarding different job characteristics.

Depending on the priorities of the team and the candidate’s skills, the intern may also contribute to related OECD research covering:

• Working time across countries.
• Job quality.
• Labour market transitions.
• Labour shortages.
• Workers’ preferences.
• Comparative labour market research.

The internship also provides exposure to the OECD’s wider policy and research environment, including seminars, discussions with experts and opportunities to present work in an international setting.

Who Can Apply?

The opportunity is open to students who meet the following requirements:

• Must be a national of an OECD member country.
• Must be enrolled in a full-time graduate degree programme in economics or a closely related field throughout the entire internship.
• The position is particularly suited to students at an advanced stage of their studies, including:
  • PhD candidates.
  • Master’s students in the final year of their programme.
• Must be available for at least four months.
• Must have an excellent command of English.
• Must have strong writing, drafting and communication skills.
• Must possess solid quantitative research abilities.
• Must have familiarity with statistical or econometric software such as Stata, R or Python.
• Must be comfortable working in a multicultural and international environment.

APPLY HERE

Additional Skills That Would Be an Advantage

Some skills are not mandatory but would strengthen an application.

These include:

• Knowledge of German, particularly because the research survey will be conducted in Germany.
• Experience with survey design.
• Experience with questionnaire testing.
• Knowledge of discrete choice experiments.
• Experience estimating discrete choice models.
• Previous empirical research experience.
• Experience working with large or complex datasets.

Knowledge of German is specifically described as a strong advantage but is not mandatory.

What Will the Intern Work On?

The successful candidate will work closely with economists in the ELS Directorate.

Responsibilities may include several stages of the research process.

1. Developing the Survey

The intern may contribute to developing a survey instrument that incorporates a discrete choice experiment.

This can involve:

• Selecting relevant attributes.
• Designing the experimental component.
• Developing the questionnaire.
• Drafting survey questions.
• Ensuring that the survey can effectively capture workers’ preferences.

2. Testing the Survey

Before the survey is fully launched, the intern may participate in testing its design.

This can involve:

• Conducting cognitive interviews.
• Supporting a soft launch.
• Reviewing feedback.
• Identifying problems with the questionnaire.
• Revising the instrument based on testing results.

This provides practical experience with the process of turning a research concept into a functioning empirical survey.

3. Working With the Survey Company

The intern may also liaise with a professional survey company responsible for elements of the research process.

Tasks can include supporting work related to:

• Survey scripting.
• Translation.
• Sampling.
• Quality control.
• Fieldwork monitoring.

This gives the intern exposure to the operational side of large-scale empirical research.

4. Analysing the Data

Once the survey data have been collected, the intern may contribute to quantitative analysis.

Responsibilities may include:

• Analysing survey data.
• Constructing tables.
• Producing figures.
• Conducting robustness checks.
• Supporting empirical research and interpretation.

Strong quantitative skills are therefore particularly important for this position.

Technical and Research Skills

This internship is strongly research-oriented, meaning applicants should be comfortable working with quantitative evidence.

Experience with statistical and econometric tools such as:

• Stata
• R
• Python

is expected.

Applicants should also be able to demonstrate their ability to communicate empirical findings clearly through written research.

Previous experience with survey design, discrete choice experiments or empirical labour-market research can further strengthen an application.

Shortlisted Candidates

Applicants who are shortlisted may be asked to participate in an additional technical discussion.

The discussion may focus on:

• A submitted writing sample.
• Previous empirical research.
• Data construction.
• Methodological decisions.
• Limitations of the analysis.
• The applicant’s approach to empirical research.

Shortlisted candidates may also be asked to provide a reference letter from an academic supervisor or previous employer.

Applicants should therefore be prepared to discuss their research work in detail and explain not only what they did, but also why they selected particular methods and what limitations their analysis has.

Internship Duration

The internship has a minimum duration of four months.

It can be extended for up to six months.

The preferred arrangement is a full-time internship of approximately 40 hours per week.

Start Date

The expected start date is:

Mid- to late October 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Location and Working Arrangement

The internship is based at OECD headquarters in Paris, France.

The preferred arrangement is in-person, although partial remote work may be possible.

This provides interns with the opportunity to work directly within an international organisation and interact with economists, researchers and policy professionals from different countries.

Internship Allowance

The OECD provides a monthly allowance of:

EUR 1,000 per month

This financial support is intended to contribute toward the intern’s living expenses during the internship.

Applicants should nevertheless consider the cost of living in Paris when planning for the internship period.

Deadline

Application deadline: Friday, 4 September 2026

Applicants should submit their materials before the deadline and ensure that all required documents are complete.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to submit three main documents.

Visit HERE to learn more  about the OECD Research Internship in Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Apply by 4 September 2026

1. Curriculum Vitae

Submit a CV that clearly presents your:

• Educational background.
• Research experience.
• Quantitative skills.
• Relevant work experience.
• Statistical and econometric software skills.
• Publications or research projects, where applicable.
• Nationality.

Your nationality must be specified in the CV.

2. Writing Sample

Applicants must provide a recent piece of empirical work written in English.

The writing sample should preferably be sole-authored rather than co-authored, allowing the selection team to assess the applicant’s individual research and writing abilities.

A strong writing sample should demonstrate:

• Clear research questions.
• Appropriate methodology.
• Quantitative analysis.
• Good data interpretation.
• Strong academic writing.
• Awareness of methodological limitations.

3. Cover Letter

Applicants should also submit a short and concise cover letter.

The cover letter should explain why the candidate is interested in the internship and why their academic and research background makes them suitable for the position.

Applications should be sent to:

andrea.garnero@oecd.org

How to Make Your Application Competitive

Because this is a research-focused position, applicants should make sure their application demonstrates more than simply an interest in economics.

A competitive application should clearly show:

1. Strong quantitative ability
   Highlight your experience with Stata, R, Python or other relevant research tools.
2. Empirical research experience
   Your writing sample should demonstrate that you can work with real-world data and draw appropriate conclusions.
3. Strong writing ability
   The OECD specifically requires strong drafting and communication skills.
4. Knowledge of labour economics or related fields
   Experience studying employment, wages, labour markets, social policy or related topics can be particularly relevant.
5. Research maturity
   Be prepared to explain your methodological choices and acknowledge limitations in your previous research.
6. International outlook
   The role involves comparative research across countries, so an interest in international economic and labour-market issues is valuable.
7. Clear motivation
   Your cover letter should demonstrate why working with the OECD ELS Directorate fits your academic and professional objectives.

Why This OECD Internship Is Valuable

The internship offers more than short-term work experience.

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to participate in research connected to important labour-market policy questions, including why shortages persist in particular occupations and how workers value different job characteristics.

The OECD’s current labour-market research continues to examine structural labour shortages, worker preferences, demographic changes, skills mismatches and changes in working arrangements.

The intern will also gain exposure to:

• International economic research.
• Comparative labour-market analysis.
• Survey research.
• Econometric analysis.
• Policy-oriented research.
• International experts.
• OECD seminars and discussions.
• Professional research networks.

Conclusion

The OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Internship is a strong opportunity for advanced Master’s and PhD students interested in economics, labour markets, applied social science and quantitative research.

The position combines empirical research with real-world policy questions and gives the successful candidate the opportunity to work alongside OECD economists in Paris.

Applicants should particularly focus on demonstrating their quantitative research skills, empirical experience, English writing ability and familiarity with statistical or econometric tools.

The application deadline is 4 September 2026, with the internship expected to begin in mid- to late October 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

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