Economist

Economist
Business Data Lab

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is Canada’s largest and most activated business network — representing 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and more than 200,000 businesses of all sizes, from all sectors of the economy and from every part of the country. Our vision is to build a Canada of thriving business opportunity, a strong economy and a better life for all. Our mission is to drive change, partner broadly and be the undisputed champion and catalyst for the future of business success. We do this through policy and advocacy, our Canadian Chamber Network and our suite of essential business services.

Through our Chamber 2025 Strategic Plan, we give each of our members more of what they need to succeed: insight into markets, competitors and trends, influence over the decisions and policies that drive business success and impact on business and economic performance.

We recruit top talent with an entrepreneurial mindset who understand today’s business realities and can support both our strategic business goals and emerging opportunities

Summary of the role and opportunity

The Business Data Lab (BDL) at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is seeking an early-career Economist with expertise in forecasting, modeling, and economic analysis to strengthen the Chamber’s forecasting capabilities.

BDL’s mandate is to democratize business data and provide real-time economic insights to help Canadian businesses, policymakers, and stakeholders navigate evolving economic conditions. This role is an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of economic forecasting, business intelligence, and public policy.

As a BDL Economist, you will play a key role in developing economic forecasting models, analyzing macroeconomic trends, and conducting high-impact research that informs business and policy decision-making. If you are curious, analytical, and passionate about using data to generate economic insights, we’d love to hear from you.

Your role:
Core duties and responsibilities

As part of the Business Data Lab, you will:
• Develop and maintain economic monitoring tools and forecasting models to track key macroeconomic indicators for the Canadian economy, including GDP, inflation, employment, and retail sales.

• Analyze diverse economic datasets, including those from Statistics Canada, high-frequency indicators, business surveys, and BDL’s proprietary data tools, to uncover meaningful trends and insights.

• Conduct applied economic research on topics that directly impact Canadian businesses, such as business conditions, market dynamics, and economic policy developments.

• Collaborate with data scientists, researchers, and economists to transform complex data into insightful, forward-looking forecasts and business intelligence.

• Enhance and maintain BDL’s economic data tools, including the Business Conditions Terminal (BCT) and Local Spending Tracker, ensuring they remain accurate, relevant, and user-friendly.

• Communicate economic insights effectively through a variety of channels, including reports, blogs, infographics, dashboards, and social media, making research accessible to business and policy audiences.

• Contribute to the production of bilingual (English and French) quarterly reports, leveraging insights from Statistics Canada’s Canadian Survey on Business Conditions (CSBC), which includes 10,000+ Canadian business responses per quarter.

• Monitor and interpret key economic data releases, providing timely, high-quality commentary, briefings, and insights for business leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders.

• Provide ad hoc economic analysis and research support for media appearances, and industry events.

What you bring:
Qualifications & Experience

Education & Experience:
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Economics or a related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in economic analysis, and forecasting.
Technical & Research Skills:
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in statistical software and data visualization tools, such as:
o R, Python, Power BI, Stata, SPSS, EViews, Excel/Visual Basic macros, Microsoft Azure, Haver Analytics.
• Experience working with large datasets, conducting empirical research, and forecasting economic variables.
• Ability to synthesize and communicate complex data-driven insights through reports, presentations, and dashboards.

Soft Skills:
• Analytical and critical thinking mindset with a strong understanding of economic theory and forecasting methodologies.
• Entrepreneurial approach – proactive problem solver who seeks out new opportunities for data-driven insights.
• High attention to detail, with the ability to operate in a fast-paced research environment while managing multiple priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present research findings clearly and concisely.
• Team-oriented with a strong desire to learn, grow, and collaborate in a dynamic research environment.

What can set you apart:
• Graduate degrees (Master’s or PhD) in Economics or a related field.
• Bilingualism (English & French)
• Experience in geo-spatial analysis and mapping to generate location-based economic insights.

What we offer:
• A high-impact role at the intersection of business, economics, and policy research.
• Opportunity to work with leading economic datasets and real-time business intelligence.
• Exposure to policymakers, industry leaders, and media through BDL’s public research outputs.
• Collaborative, entrepreneurial work culture with opportunities for growth.
• Hybrid work model (Toronto/Ottawa preferred).

Terms & Application Process:
• Contract Duration: 2-year fixed-term contract.
• Work Location: Hybrid (Toronto/Ottawa preferred).
• Salary Range: $90,000 – $100,000 per year
• Reporting To: Patrick Gill, VP, Business Data Lab
• Application Deadline: April 4, 2025.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is committed to providing a barrier-free work environment in concert with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code. As such, we will make accommodations available to applicants with disabilities upon request during the recruitment process.

Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of all segments of society. We are dedicated to encouraging a supportive and inclusive culture amongst the whole workforce and we are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills, where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire will be based on merit, competence, performance and business needs.