Thomas Benison

Thomas joined Motu Research in May 2022 after completing an Honours degree in Economics at the University of Auckland. His dissertation investigated the impact of large government debt on the effectiveness of government spending in New Zealand. Before this, he completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Economics and Finance, during which he spent one semester on exchange in at University College London.

At Motu Research, Thomas worked on a diverse range of topics including access to childcare, the relationship between arts and wellbeing, and urban water security. His final project involved exploring the different sources of ethnic wage gaps in New Zealand with Dave Maré. Thomas also ran Motu's internal seminar series.

In his spare time, Thomas likes going to the gym, painting, and sightseeing.