Mikko Silliman

My research focuses on questions at the intersection of education policy and labor economics. I'm particularly interested in trying to understand how education systems and labor markets can be designed to reduce inequalities and sustain employment through changes in the nature of work.

I will join the Department of Economics at Aalto University as an Assistant Professor in 2024, before which I will conduct research as a post-doc at the FAIR center at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). I am also a research affiliate at CESifo and IZA. I completed my Ph.D. at Harvard University.

You can find my CV here and more information on my research below or on GoogleScholar


Publications:


Informal social interactions, academic achievement, and behavior (with Matt Lenard)

Economic Journal, conditionally accepted.


Hard and soft skills in vocational training (with Felipe Barrera-Osorio and Adriana Kugler)

World Bank Economic Review, 2023, 37 (3): 409-436.

- Media: VoxDev, VoxEU.


Labor market returns to vocational secondary education (with Hanna Virtanen

 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2022, 14(1): 197–224.

*Society of Labor Economists 2019 Fellows Best Poster Award

- Media: AEA Research Highlight, VoxEU, YLE, Helsingin Sanomat



Working papers and works in progress:


Education, gender, and family formation (with Hanna Virtanen, Tiina Kuuppelomäki, and Kristiina Huttunen

ETLA Working Paper, 2/2024. OSF pre-registration for mechanisms  

- Media: Helsingin Sanomat


The extent and consequences of teacher biases against immigrants (with Ellen Sahlström)

Working papers: IZA, Helsinki GSE, 4/2024. 

- Media: Helsingin Sanomat, Yle


Childcare, social skills, and the labor market (with Juuso Mäkinen)

Under revision

*Distinguished CESifo Affiliate Award


Job training through turmoil (with Felipe Barrera-Osorio and Adriana Kugler)

NBER working paper, 12/2021.

- Media: Brookings Institute, Harvard Project on the Workforce


Pre-PhD:

Targeted funding, immigrant background, and educational outcomes

VATT working paper, 8/2017. Adapted from master's thesis at Uni. Helsinki. Resting.

- Media: All major Finnish outlets including Helsingin Sanomat, YLE, Hufvudstadsbladet, Soinivaara blog.