Michael Haan studies why people make the location choices they do across the life course, and what impact these choices have on both their well-being and that of the communities they join. Haan is also working on several projects that focus on the demographic components of labour market development. his earlier work focused on housing and immigration, although the focus on inequality and stratification was evident there as well.

Dr. Haan is currently the Vice President of the Canadian Population Society, and a member of the Social Statistics Advisory Board of Statistics Canada.