Economic Research Intern at SC Department of Commerce

Wayne State University; Columbia (SC); Hybrid; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The South Carolina Department of Commerce is seeking two Economic Research Internship positions on our Research Team. Interns will gain hands-on experience with applied economics, real‑world data, and economic development practice.

Interns work onsite in downtown Columbia, with flexible scheduling around class commitments. Preference for undergrad/grad students in economics, public policy, or related fields; curiosity and analytical skills valued.

Qualifications

• High school diploma; bachelor’s degree may substitute for the required program experience.
• Minimum of 20 hours per week onsite at the Department of Commerce office in downtown Columbia, SC.
• Ability to handle confidential project information with discretion.

Responsibilities

• Support real research requests by collecting, organizing, analyzing, and presenting economic, business, and demographic information.
• Develop briefs and visualizations: charts, tables, maps, infographics for internal/external audiences.
• Monitor economic data and emerging trends; contribute to research briefs and visualizations.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Written communication

Verbal communication

Attention to detail

Collaborative mindset

Education

Undergraduate or graduate degree in Economics, Business, Public Policy, Statistics, Data Analytics, Geography, or related field

High school diploma

Tools

R

Python

Power BI

HTML

ArcGIS/ESRI

Excel

Job description

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Welcome to South Carolina. The new headquarters of American innovation.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce (S.C. Commerce) is committed to maintaining the state’s long-term competitiveness while building a modern economy — one that is diverse, supporting businesses at every phase of their lifecycle, while allowing people to live and work where they love.

As one of 22 cabinet agencies, S.C. Commerce is the state’s lead economic development agency. Its mission is to create economic opportunities to increase choices for all South Carolinians, which it does by supporting new and existing businesses and partnerships that fuel emerging industries such as life sciences, headquarters, and advanced energy. To drive the state’s advanced energy potential and global impact, S.C. Commerce helped organize the SC Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy (SC NEXUS), designated as one of 31 federal Technology and Innovation Hubs in 2023. A national leader in foreign direct investment, South Carolina extends its international reach with representation in Europe and Asia, ensuring the state remains a top, global business destination from launch to legacy.

Job Purpose:

The South Carolina Department of Commerce is seeking to fill two Economic Research Internship positions on our Research Team.

The Research Team is an internal service unit: we conduct quantitative and qualitative research and data analysis in direct support of the state's business recruitment and business support efforts. Our work informs decisions that shape South Carolina's economic development strategy.

The Research Team is evolving into a proactive economic intelligence unit that identifies emerging trends, develops new analytical products, and anticipates questions before they are asked. Interns joining us will have an opportunity to contribute to that evolution while gaining hands‑on experience with applied economics, real‑world data, and the practice of economic development.

Job Responsibilities:

Research Requests

Support real research requests from economic development professionals by collecting, organizing, analyzing, and presenting economic, business, and demographic information. Assignments include, but are not limited to:

• Cost of Doing Business analysis: comparing taxes, labor, real estate, utilities, and other factors relevant to corporate site selection and business recruitment.
• Company research and due diligence: gathering business, financial, ownership, and industry information to support recruitment and incentive decisions.
• Exploratory data analysis: investigating industries, labor markets, communities, and other factors related to confidential economic development opportunities.
• Briefs and visualizations: developing one-pagers, fact sheets, charts, tables, maps, and infographics for internal and external audiences.

Applied Research & Analytical Product Development

Work alongside economists, analysts, and other team members to develop new research and analytical products. Depending on interests and current projects, interns may contribute to applied research papers, dashboards and self-service reports, data automation, geographic analysis, and data visualization using tools such as:

• R (R Studio) and Python
• Power BI, HTML,
• ArcGIS/ESRI
• Advanced features of Excel
• Other

Economic Intelligence

Monitor economic data, research, and emerging trends for developments that could affect South Carolina's industries, workforce, communities, or competitiveness. This may include topics such as regional economics, labor markets, industry clusters, international trade, business costs, and demographic change.

Interns will be encouraged to move beyond reporting numbers and ask: What changed? Why does it matter? What might happen next? Findings may be developed into short research briefs, presentations, visualizations, or longer applied research projects, that could be shared with agency leadership or legislative officials.

Minimum and Additional Requirements:

A high school diploma and relevant program experience. A bachelor's degree may be substituted for the required program experience.

Must be able to work a minimum of 20 hours per week onsite at the Department of Commerce office in downtown Columbia, SC. Schedule is flexible within normal business hours (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday – Friday) and set in coordination with the supervisor to accommodate class schedules.

Requires the ability to handle confidential project information with discretion.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Currently pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Economics, Business, Public Policy, Statistics, Data Analytics, Geography, or a related field.
• Intellectual curiosity about economics, economic development, business, or public policy.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, with an interest in understanding what data means rather than simply reporting it.
• Clear written, verbal, and visual communication skills.
• Attention to detail and a willingness to learn unfamiliar data, methods, and tools.
• A collaborative, service-oriented approach to research.

Experience with economic data or analytical tools is helpful, but we do not expect interns to arrive knowing everything they will use here. Curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to learn matter more.