Dr Maximilian Longmuir
Casual Academic
PhD in Public Economics and Inequality, Free University Berlin, Germany
MSc Public Economics, Free University Berlin, Germany
BSc Economics and Business Administration, Johannes-Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Germany
Business School
School of Economics
I am an applied microeconomist working at the intersection of economic inequality, intergenerational mobility, household finance, labor economics, and social policy. Since November 2025, I have been a Research Officer at the SPRC at UNSW, and an Associated Researcher at the Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality (CUNY Graduate Center). I am also a casual tutor at the UNSW Business School. My research asks how institutions and policies shape households’ economic security and the distribution of wealth and opportunity over the life course.
My work combines large-scale household survey and administrative data with modern causal and distributional methods to quantify who gains and who loses from policy settings, market shocks, and changing demographic conditions. I aim to produce evidence that is both academically rigorous and directly relevant for policy debates, and I regularly translate findings into policy briefs and research summaries for broader audiences.
Previously, I was a Research Associate at the Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality (2023–2025), a Postdoctoral Researcher at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (2021–2023) on the project “The intergenerational reproduction of wealth inequality and its socio-demographic conditions in Germany”, and an Adjunct Lecturer at the Institute of Labour Economics, Leibniz Universität Hannover (2022–2023). I completed my Ph.D. in Economics at Freie Universität Berlin in the program “Public Economics and Inequality” (awarded November 2021), with the dissertation “Inequality, Risk, and Wealth.” My research has been published in high-impact outlets including Demography, Energy Policy, International Review of Financial Analysis, Journal of Economic Inequality, and Survey Research Methods.
Selected research projects include:
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Saving behaviour and retirement adequacy — analysing how investment risk and portfolio choices shape savings behaviour and later-life resources, including in-depth work on Superannuation wealth in Australia.
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Intergenerational wealth mobility in Germany — providing the first systematic evidence on intergenerational wealth persistence using harmonised SOEP wealth data (1988–2017), highlighting the role of homeownership and housing institutions in cross-country differences.
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Energy expenditure inequality and retrofit policy — modelling household energy spending and the distributional effects of price spikes, with policy implications for affordability and fiscal design.
E-mail
Location
Social Policy Research Centre,
John Goodsell Building,
Kensington Rd, Sydney New South Wales 2033 ·
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2026 Arts, Design and Architecture (ADA) Faculty Research Grant
2018 – 2021 Full PhD scholarship of the Hans-Böckler Foundation
2020 Conference funding by the the Hans-Böckler Foundation
2012 – 2013 Erasmus Scholarship by the European Union
Latest peer-reviewed publications:
Longmuir, M., Disslbacher, F., Rapp, S., Di Biase, F., Rella, G., Subioli, F., ... & Flores, I. (2026). Wealth Composition, Distribution, and Transmission: The Graduate Center Wealth Project Data Warehouse. Scientific Data.
Abstract:
Private wealth, as well as its distribution and intergenerational transmission have become much-debated issues. However, existing evidence remains fragmented, context-dependent, and sometimes contested. This data descriptor introduces the Graduate Center (GC) Wealth Project data warehouse, a collection of databases covering multiple countries and time periods, designed to address these challenges. The data warehouse consolidates most existing evidence on private wealth and undertakes a significant data harmonization effort. We supplement each data point with extensive metadata on methodology. The data warehouse features an extensive collection of information on the household wealth levels and balance sheets, along with distributional statistics from a wide range of sources. Moreover, it draws together data on wealth transfer tax revenues, and tax features such as rates, exemption thresholds, and tax schedules. The broad range of data sources in the warehouse allows users to assess the degree of heterogeneity of estimates, and how methodological choices affect measurement outcomes. The new data series and policy indicators also allow extending quantitative analysis of wealth and public policy.
Behr, S. M., Kucuk, M., Longmuir, M., & Neuhoff, K. (2026). Worst first: Thermal retrofits, carbon prices, and inequality. Energy Policy, 213, 115145.
Worst first: Thermal retrofits, carbon prices, and inequality - ScienceDirect
Abstract:
The energy price crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine exposed the heightened vulnerability of low-income households to rising heating costs, particularly those in energy-inefficient buildings. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), this study examines the distributional impact of heating costs across income deciles and evaluates the effectiveness of policy interventions. We find that low-income tenants are the most vulnerable segment of the population, with elevated risks of energy poverty. While tenant-landlord carbon cost-splitting can partially shield low-income households from carbon costs, they remain exposed to energy price risks. In contrast, a “Worst-First” retrofit strategy, prioritizing upgrades in the least efficient buildings, substantially reduces heating costs and mitigates energy poverty. Our findings highlight the need for targeted retrofit policies to ensure both equitable decarbonization and economic relief for vulnerable households.