Emily Eisner, PhD

Emily Eisner is an Economist at the Fiscal Policy Institute. Emily holds a Ph.D. in Economics from University of California, Berkeley where she studied macroeconomics and public finance. Emily’s economic research lives at the intersection of macroeconomics and labor economics with an emphasis on measurement of macroeconomic indicators. She has studied the role of home care in macroeconomic modeling, as well as the long-term effects of technological change on twentieth century US labor markets. Before joining FPI, Emily worked for the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Labor and Economic Analysis Division. Emily has also taught macroeconomics at Barnard College. Before getting her Ph.D., Emily worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on economic research related to financial regulation, supervision, and the implementation of monetary policy. Emily also holds a B.A. in Mathematics, summa cum laude, from Dartmouth College.

Recent Work

Preventing a NYCHA Budget Crisis

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) houses over 500,000 New Yorkers and receives a majority of its funding from the federal government, leaving it especially at risk of impending federal budget cuts. New York State must be prepared to fill gaps in both the operating funding and capital funding for NYCHA.

Fixing Unemployment Insurance

Download the Memo Download the Report The Fiscal Policy Institute today released two publications on how to fix New York State's insolvent unemployment insurance system: a memo recommending tax changes, and a short report detailing the UI system’s chronic underfunding and low benefit level. Unemployment insurance (UI), which provides temporary income to laid-off workers, is one of the State’s most important economic stabilization policies. Unemployment can both throw workers into poverty and exacerbate recessions by driving down demand; UI counteracts these risks and can soften the blow of an economic [...]

What to Expect in the Budget: Housing Policy

The fiscal year 2026 budget cycle is upon us and “affordability” is taking center stage. The mandate to address the rapidly rising cost-of-living in New York has never been more urgent, with consumer prices up about 20 percent since 2020. The cost of housing, in particular, has skyrocketed in the years since the Covid-19 pandemic, with home prices up over 50 percent—making housing costs the number one priority for addressing affordability in New York.

January 20th, 2025|Housing, State Budget|

Governor Hochul’s Affordability Policy Report Card

Governor Hochul’s State of the State address made clear that “affordability” is her top priority this session. As part of her agenda, Governor Hochul and her team have put forward a set of policies intended to “put money back in New Yorkers’ pockets.”  The four major proposals include a tax cut, an “inflation rebate payment,” an expansion of the child tax credit, and fully funding free school lunches for all public-school students in the State.

January 18th, 2025|Housing, State Budget|

The Staffing Crisis in Upstate Hospitals

FPI today released a report by Dr. Emily Eisner on the staffing crisis in Upstate New York's hospitals. The report finds that 90 percent of Upstate hospital shifts are current understaffed, and that an additional 5,000 Registered Nurses and 20,000 ancillary staff are needed to achieve safe staffing levels. As the report shows, chronic understaffing leads to a 14 percent rise in mortality risk for patients on the worst 10 percent of hospital units—about 280 additional patients death for every 100,000 hospitalizations.

December 16th, 2024|Healthcare, Must Read, Policy & Research, Social Policy|

The Federal Housing Policy Landscape

State housing policy relies heavily on two federal programs that support housing affordability: the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and Housing Choice Vouchers (also known as “Section 8” vouchers). These two programs underpin most affordable housing construction in the US and play an important role in the provision of affordable housing in New York State.

December 9th, 2024|Blog, Featured on Home, Housing, Social Policy|

FPI Testimony on “City of Yes”

My name is Emily Eisner, and I am an Economist working with the Fiscal Policy Institute. I am testifying in support of the “City of Yes” plan. The City must pass the zoning reforms included in City of Yes, and, in addition, the City must increase investment in housing affordability through expanded fiscal measures. These two sets of policies — zoning reform to allow for increased supply, and fiscal support for housing affordability — work together.

October 22nd, 2024|City Budget, Housing, Social Policy|

Fact Sheet: Climate Change Superfund Act

Last month, both the Senate and Assembly of the New York State legislature passed the Climate Change Superfund Act (S.02129). The Act, first introduced during the FY 2022 budget cycle, would require the largest fossil fuel companies to pay a total of $75 billion — to be paid over 25 years in $3 billion annual increments — to New York State.

July 24th, 2024|Climate, Fact Sheets, Social Policy, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy|

Fact Sheet on Proposed Housing Deal

The housing deal currently under consideration in budget negotiations (as publicly reported) would create new tax incentives for affordable housing developers, weaken certain tenant protections passed in 2019, and impose a watered-down version of “Good Cause Eviction” with significant exemptions and loopholes.

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