Barry Watson

Barry Watson is an associate professor of economics with the Faculty of Business at UNB Saint John. He holds a PhD in economics from Dalhousie University, receiving both the SSHRC Graduate Fellowship and Killam Scholarship during his doctoral studies.

Specializing in applied econometrics, health, and labour, Dr. Watson has published in several highly recognized journals including Social Science and Medicine, Health Economics, and the Review of Income and Wealth.

Barry has taught undergraduate courses ranging from first-year introductory microeconomics to fourth-year econometrics and advanced mathematics. At the graduate level, Dr. Watson has offered courses in macroeconomic theory and applied econometrics. In 2007, he received the UNB Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching and has consistently been nominated for the Allan P. Stuart Award.

In addition to his service at UNB Saint John, Dr. Watson is the president of the Atlantic Canada Economics Association, an Expert-in-Residence with Dialogue NB and has taught courses at the Shandong University of Finance and Economics.

Outside of academia, Barry is an avid snowboarder; however, his health insurer has been told he maintains a high degree of risk aversion, with a preference for certainty equivalent pistes.

Selected publications

Watson, B., Law, S., & Osberg, L. (2021). Are Populists Insecure About Themselves or About Their Country? Political Attitudes and Economic Perceptions. Social Indicators Research, 1-39.

Daley, A., Rahman, M., & Watson, B. (2021). A Breath of Fresh Air: The Effect of Public Smoking Bans on Indigenous Youth. Health Economics, 30(6), 1517-1539.

Watson, B., Daley, A., Rohde, N., & Osberg, L. (2020). Blown Off-Course? Unhealthy Vices of the Economically Insecure During the Great Recession. Journal of Economic Psychology.

Watson, B. & Osberg, L. (2019). Can Positive Income Shocks Reverse the Mental Health Impacts of Negative Income Shocks? Economics & Human Biology, 35, 107-122.

Watson, B. & Osberg, L. (2018). Job Insecurity and Mental Health in Canada. Applied Economics, 50(38), 4137-4152.

Watson, B. (2018). Does Economic Insecurity Cause Weight Gain Among Canadian Labour Force Participants? Review of Income and Wealth, 64(2), 406-427.

Watson, B. & Osberg, L. (2017). Healing and/or Breaking? The Mental Health Implications of Repeated Economic Insecurity. Social Science & Medicine, 188, 119-127.

Watson, B., Osberg, L., & Phipps, S. (2016). Economic Insecurity and the Weight Gain of Canadian Adults: A Natural Experiment Approach. Canadian Public Policy, 42(2), 115-131.