Hayley Fisher

Professor Hayley Fisher is an applied economist at the University of Sydney, where she holds the position of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education Strategy and Student Success) in the Education and Students Portfolio since December 2025. She earned her B.A. in Economics from the University of Cambridge in 2005 with First Class Honours, M.Phil. in Economics in 2007 with Distinction, and Ph.D. in Economics in 2011, with a thesis titled 'Essays in the economics of marriage, divorce and cohabitation'. Her academic career at the University of Sydney began as a Lecturer in the School of Economics from July 2011 to December 2016, progressed to Senior Lecturer from January 2017 to December 2021, and Associate Professor from January 2022 to July 2024. She has held several leadership roles, including Associate Dean (Postgraduate Coursework Programs) in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences from February 2018 to February 2019, Academic Director – Lifelong Learning from February 2019 to December 2024, Acting Registrar from December 2023 to December 2024, and Professor and Academic Director – Student Success from July 2024 to November 2025. Fisher is affiliated with the School of Economics as a Research Affiliate since 2025, IZA as a Research Fellow since 2023, the Life Course Centre as a Fellow since 2015, and the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute as a Research Affiliate since 2025.

Her research specializations lie in labour and demographic economics, focusing on the economics of marriage, divorce, and cohabitation; financial implications of relationship breakdown; intergenerational disadvantage and welfare dependence; family responses to economic shocks and policy reforms; behavioural economics applied to policy; fertility intentions and paid parental leave; repartnering and financial incentives; and child support and household labour supply. Key publications include 'Recovery from Divorce: Comparing High and Low Income Couples' (International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 2016, with Hamish Low), 'Financial Implications of Relationship Breakdown: Does Marriage Matter?' (Review of Economics of the Household, 2015, with Hamish Low), 'The Effect of Financial Incentives on Repartnering' (Economic Journal, 2019, with Anna Zhu), 'The Impact of Child Support on the Household Income and Labour Supply of Payee Lone Mothers' (Economic Record, 2017), and 'The Impact of Paid Parental Leave on Fertility Intentions' (Economic Record, 2020, with Micaela Bassford). Her work has appeared in leading international journals and contributed to policy discussions on family law and welfare. Fisher has received the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Award for Teaching Excellence in 2016, along with Dean’s Commendations for Excellence in Teaching in 2015 and 2017.

Professional Email: hayley.fisher@sydney.edu.au