A day in the life of a Senior Econometrician

Infometrics welcomes Ben Brodie into our team. Ben joined us in January this year and is already an integral part of the team. This month we chat with Ben about what he’s been involved with since he joined Infometrics.

Studied in: Otago

Resides in: Wellington 

Ruby: Can you describe a typical day at work?

Ben: Most days involve a mix of developing and using our economic models, carrying out quality assurance, assessing our economic outputs, and collaborating with the wider team.

There is always something new to dig into, whether that is refining a self-employment model or looking at how the data paints the economic picture for a client. It is rarely the same day twice, which keeps things interesting.

Ruby: What is the nature of your work at Infometrics, and how do clients benefit from what you do?

Ben: I am an Econometrician at Infometrics, which basically means I look at economic data through a statistical lens.

The core of my work is developing and maintaining the economic models that sit behind a lot of what Infometrics produces. This includes things like regional industry forecasts, GDP and employment data, and other tools used to produce our products.

The goal is to make sure our clients, whether they are in local government, central government, or the private sector, have robust and reliable numbers they can use when making big decisions. Good modelling means better-informed planning.

Ruby: What has been your most challenging work experience?

Ben: Probably the COVID period at Stats NZ. We were trying to model data affecting our GDP components in real time, during something no one really had a playbook for.

The situation was changing week to week, and the stakes felt pretty high. It was a good lesson in being transparent about uncertainty, rather than assuming the data has all the answers.

You learn a lot about your own assumptions, and what their implications can mean, when the world stops behaving the way it used to.

Ruby: What is your background, and how has this influenced the way you work at Infometrics?

Ben: I have had a varied path before joining Infometrics, including roles at Stats NZ, Treasury, and a stint doing agricultural forecasting at Iris, a data science company.

Each role taught me something different. Stats NZ gave me a strong foundation in official statistics and methodology. Treasury sharpened my focus on policy-relevant analysis. My private sector experience reminded me that good analysis also needs to be usable and clear.

I try to bring all of that into my work at Infometrics.

Ruby: What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself?

Ben: Get comfortable with being wrong and working in the unknown - and knowing when you are in the unknown.

You are constantly updating your view as new information comes in, and that helps you learn and improve. I would also say: learn to communicate your findings clearly. The best analysis does not help anyone if no one can understand it.

Ruby: What changes or challenges do you see coming in your area of work, or in the wider economy?

Ben: AI and machine learning are reshaping what is possible in economic analysis. There is a lot of potential there, but also real risks around over-relying on models that look impressive but lack good economic grounding.

Getting the balance right between new tools and sound economic thinking is probably the big challenge of the next few years.

Ruby: What are your major interests outside of work?

Ben: Mountain biking, diving, and getting out along Wellington’s coastline whenever I can.

Wellington is a great place for all of that - you are never far from decent trails or the sea.

Ruby: And finally, what is an intriguing fact about you?

Ben: I can cook a mean curry.

Ruby: Thank you for taking the time to chat to us, Ben. We look forward to following your progress at Infometrics.