Laurier’s Lazaridis School to host leading economists for discussion on immigration policy

Feb. 10, 2025
For Immediate Release

WATERLOO — Misconceptions, opportunities and rapid changes in immigration policy will be topics of conversation at Economic Outlook 2025 on Feb. 12, hosted by the Laurier Centre for Economic Research and Policy Analysis (LCERPA) at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. The event is free and open for all to attend by registering on Eventbrite.

Laurier will welcome Pedro Antunes, chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada, and Jennifer Hunt, professor of Economics at Rutgers University and former chief economist of the U.S. Department of Labor, for a panel discussion moderated by Jeff Chan, Lazaridis economics professor and LCERPA director.

“Immigration’s impact on housing, employment and other economic outcomes has often been misrepresented and it’s crucial that businesses and governments have the correct answer to these kinds of questions when making decisions,” said Chan. “At Economic Outlook 2025 our goal is to clear up any misconceptions and explore the challenges and opportunities business and government should consider in 2025 and beyond, based on the state of the art economics research.”  

In his role at the Conference Board of Canada, Antunes led research on the impact of demographic change on the financial sustainability of public health care, productivity and other issues affecting the long-term economic growth for Canada and its provinces. He also regularly provides expert testimony to parliamentary committees, Canadian leaders and the media.

Hunt is a graduate of Harvard and MIT. From 2013 to 2015, she served as chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor and deputy assistant secretary for microeconomic analysis at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Her current research at Rutgers University explores the geographic spread of technology, discrimination and unemployment.

Economic Outlook 2025: Immigration – challenges and opportunities for Canada in the 21^st century takes place Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the atrium at Lazaridis Hall on Laurier’s Waterloo campus. Doors open at 2 p.m. and the panel discussion begins at 2:30 p.m. Registration is open on Eventbrite.

About Economic Outlook

Economic Outlook is an annual, community-focused event hosted by the Laurier Centre for Economic Research and Policy Analysis (LCERPA) and the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University. The event aims to offer the public insight into current economic issues through expert guest speakers and panel discussions.