How many economists are recruited by DFID?
The numbers recruited vary from year to year. Over the past five years the Economist Group has grown from under 50 people to over 90 (over 130 if members of the Economist Group who are filling Senior Civil Service or other non-economist posts or on secondment are included). There are now about 30 entry-level economist posts (there were 16 in 1999). Future demand will be conditioned by further growth (the recent pace of growth is unlikely to be sustained), the promotion rate to the next grade, and the number of people who leave (this has traditionally been very low at entry level but is higher in other grades). There are over 40 jobs in DFID in the next grade (Economic Adviser).
