Ben Eisen

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Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute

Ben Eisen is a Senior Fellow in Fiscal and Provincial Prosperity Studies and former Director of Provincial Prosperity Studies at the Fraser Institute. He holds a BA from the University of Toronto and an MPP from the University of Toronto’s School of Public Policy and Governance. Prior to joining the Fraser Institute Mr. Eisen was the Director of Research and Programmes at the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies in Halifax. He also worked for the Citizens Budget Commission in New York City, and in Winnipeg as the Assistant Research Director for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. Mr. Eisen has published influential studies on several policy topics, including intergovernmental relations, public finance, and higher education policy. He has been widely quoted in major newspapers including the National Post, Chronicle Herald, Winnipeg Free Press and Calgary Herald.

Recent Research by Ben Eisen

Public and Private Sector Job Growth in the Provinces during the COVID-19 Era

— Sep 1, 2023

Public and Private Sector Job Growth in the Provinces during the COVID-19 Era finds that from February 2020 to June 2023, in all ten provinces, the rate of job growth was faster in the government sector (including federal, provincial and municipal) than in the private sector (including the self-employed). Nationally, the number of government-sector jobs increased 11.8 per cent over that time period, while the number of private sector jobs increased only 3.3 per cent.

Comparing Median Employment Income in Large Canadian and American Metropolitan Areas

— Aug 24, 2023

Comparing Median Employment Income in Large Canadian and American Metropolitan Areas compares median employment income—wages, salaries and commissions from paid and self-employment income (net) before taxes and government transfers—in the 141 largest metropolitan areas in Canada and the United States, finding that of the 14 Canadian CMAs included in the study, only two rank in the top half, ultimately lagging far behind their American counterparts.

Spending Growth Is the Cause of BC’s Coming Debt Boom

— Aug 10, 2023

Spending Growth is the Cause of BC’s Coming Debt Boom is a new study that finds from 2000-2017 per person program spending in BC increased by 8.4 per cent (adjusted for inflation), but more recently, and in a much shorter time period from 2017 to 2022—even excluding COVID spending—per person spending increased by 25.9 per cent.