Scott M. Fuess, Jr., Ph.D., is the Karl H. Nelson Professor of Economics at the University of Nebraska, where he started his career. Since 2005 he has been Chairman of the Economics department at the University of Nebraska. He also has been a Visiting Professor at Senshu University in Tokyo, Japan (2004, 2000, 1998). He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (1982, magna cum laude) from the University of Delaware, majoring in Economics and History. He earned Master of Science (1983) and Doctor of Philosophy (1986) degrees, both in Economics, from Purdue University. His doctoral dissertation focused on the effects of workplace safety regulations on labor markets. One of the articles arising from this work was recognized as one of the top articles published in Economic Inquiry. Since then his research has focused on labor economics and macroeconomics, especially topics involving productivity. He also studies the economy of Japan. He is the author, or co-author, of articles published in journals such as Journal of Political Economy, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Review of Income and Wealth, Journal of Labor Research, Southern Economic Journal, Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, International Journal of Industrial Organization, Journal of Asian Economics, Journal of Developing Areas, Journal of Family and Economic Issues, and Contemporary Economic Policy. In recent years he has been involved in research on Asian labor markets, especially studies of pay and productivity in Japan. Studies concentrating on Japan and Korea have appeared in Journal of Labor Research, Korea Journal of Population and Development, and in the book "Women in the Age of Economic Transformation" (Routledge).


During his tenure at the University of Nebraska, he has received numerous awards for distinguished teaching. In 2006 he was honored with the Pinnacle Bank Faculty Award. In 2010 he was honored with the Groves-Leopold Faculty Award. In 2012 he was named as the Karl H. Nelson Professor of Economics.

Scott Fuess joined IZA as a Research Fellow in October 1999.