Dr. Mikal Skuterud

Biography

Mikal Skuterud is a Professor in the Economics Department at the University of Waterloo. He earned a Bachelor’s and a PhD from McMaster University and a Master’s from the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on labour economics, specifically immigration policy and labour market regulations. His interest in labour markets began during his high school years working in a warehouse in Mississauga, Ontario, which employed many recent immigrants. This experience led him to pursue an undergraduate program in Labour Studies at McMaster, where he developed a broad interdisciplinary perspective on labour market issues, particularly the role of trade unions. After completing his MSc in Economics, Skuterud returned to McMaster for his PhD, which he completed under the supervision of Peter Kuhn at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research has addressed topics such as job search and the impact of deregulation on working hours in the retail sector. After graduation, he worked for Statistics Canada in the Family Labour Studies Division, which provided him access to confidential data for his research. Skuterud's work examines the challenges faced by new immigrants integrating into Canada’s labour markets, a topic that continues to occupy his research efforts. He is known for his contributions to various refereed journals, exploring issues like the immigrant wage differential and job search durations.

Research Interests