Jessie Bakens is project leader at the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA). She obtained Master’s degrees in Economics and in Social Sciences from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Jessie conducted her PhD research at the Department of Spatial Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She worked as a researcher at the Sheffield Methods Institute of the University of Sheffield and at the municipality of Amsterdam. Her work focuses on applied research in regional and urban economics. In her dissertation she investigates the economic impacts of immigrants and ethnic diversity on cities by focusing on the effects of ethnic diversity on productivity, and the utility derived from immigrant-induced amenities. Jessie started working at ROA in April 2017. Jessie’s research interests are regional and urban economics, migration, and spatial demography.
