When University of Waterloo economist Mikal Skuterud ponders the triangular relationship between immigration, technology and productivity, he finds himself thinking about Norway, where his family is from. It’s a place that doesn’t import low-skilled workers to do jobs Norwegians don’t want to do. That kind of work is mainly done by technology. The country’s fish processing industry is famously and thoroughly automated, as are places like supermarkets. “Low-wage jobs like you see in Canada literally don’t exist,” he says. “Even cashiers. The grocery store is completely self-checkout. It’s almost like there’s no employees in a lot of the stores.”
