Mark Cox

Senior Economist

BA (Hons), MSc

Mark has recently celebrated 40 years working as an economist. His experience has been gained in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

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Mark has worked at various times in academia, an industry body and in government agencies. The majority of his time has been spent working as a consultant.

Mark joined BERL in 2013. He enjoys the fast-pace and variety of projects in consulting. The opportunity to meet clients, understand their needs, and help them make sense of the numbers also provides a great deal of satisfaction. Being part of the BERL team is special, though. BERL people are clever, creative, collegial and professional.

In his spare time, Mark enjoys listening to classical music, participating in quizzes and spending time in Wellington’s wonderful regional parks. He watches Wellington Phoenix games when he gets the chance, and follows Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in the English Premier League.

Mark's articles:

Can you retire wealthy by choosing the right Kiwisaver fund?

A given sum in a Kiwisaver growth fund can grow to more than the same sum in a conservative fund. But the right provider can be as important as the right type of fund.

Let’s learn to love campervanners and backpackers

Foreign backpackers and campervanners are often looked down upon. They should be welcomed as future high value visitors and migrants.

Labour market steady (for now)

Unofficial datasets show that job numbers in New Zealand have been steady, despite COVID-19. However, there are some clouds on the horizon.

Ignore the unemployment rate

The unemployment rate fell to 4.0 percent in the June quarter, but this figure can be dismissed as disguising the true state of the labour market and the wider economy.

Stopping the dumping of frozen potato products

Frozen French fries from northern Europe are being dumped on the New Zealand market. They might be cheap, but this will harm the public interest.

Flying Kiwis need a soft landing

Kiwis are coming home in considerable numbers. Many will bring with them valuable skills and experience, which will be important in rebuilding the economy.

Time for kiwis to rediscover New Zealand

Kiwis should be encouraged to discover their own country. Districts need to appeal to domestic visitors.

GDP growth easing, even before the virus

With the possibility of a deep and prolonged recession because of COVID-19, the news about what happened to GDP in the December 2019 quarter might well pass unremarked.

Jobs data a cause for concern

It seems very probable that the rate of growth in the New Zealand economy will decrease as a result of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak.

Part-time work? No thanks.

It might be supposed that part time employment is increasing more rapidly than full time employment, but is it?

Who has been hurt most by increases in living costs?

Rises in the cost of living do not affect everyone evenly. We use the Household Living Prices Index to investigate.

Buddy, can you spare me an electronic fund transfer?

The Reserve Bank is reviewing the future of cash, and they want to hear your opinion.

The Changing Pattern of International Tourism in NZ

How the size and composition of the international visitor market changed between 2008 and 2018.

Kiwisaver and the joys of compound growth

A new report from Morningstar sheds light on how people are using Kiwisaver, and where they might be leaving money on the table.

Visitor arrivals numbers still increasing, but visits are becoming shorter

Since 2010, the number of visitors arriving in New Zealand has increased by almost 60 percent, but visits are becoming shorter.

Poor productivity will jeopardise wellbeing gains

Designed to create opportunities and promote innovation, will poor productivity scupper the Wellbeing Budget ambitions?

How the wellbeing approach will change government procurement

Will the Living Standards Framework become a fully functioning tool for policy development and decision making?

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Plunging unemployment rate – who has benefitted?

We delve into the figures to examine who it is that is moving into work.

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Super-charged growth in international visitor numbers has started to fade

From 2014 to 2017 the number of international visitors grew rapidly. There is now clear evidence that the rate of growth has slowed considerably.

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Fascinating facts in dusty old tomes

Mark explores the BERL library and finds a few gems worth holding on to.