About us

The Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) conducts research on social issues and labour market issues. Researchers at the institute work in the field of social policy, welfare, inequality, health and the labour market. We have a unit for undergraduate education, AKPA, and we conduct postgraduate education together with other departments in economics and sociology.

The research of SOFI stands close to the society, with a large network in social and economic research both in Sweden and internationally. Researchers appear regularly in scientific journals and collection volumes, often in highly ranked international scientific journals, mainly in economics, sociology and law, but also related fields such as political science, gender studies and public health sciences.

The researchers at SOFI also actively participate in collaboration with the surrounding society through participation in expert groups, boards and investigative work, as well as through recurring appearances in the media.

The institute has two public seminar series: AME Labour Economics and Stratification, Welfare and Social Policy (SWS), where both our researchers and invited international guest present their ongoing work. Doctoral students at SOFI are enrolled in the doctoral program at the Department of Economics or Sociology at Stockholm University.

SOFI in numbers

107 employees

5 professors of economics

9 professors of sociology

350 students per year

3 courses at undergraduate level

17 doctoral students

Social research - since 1972

Via the reorganization of the Institute for Labour Market Issues (which was founded in 1966 and was part of Stockholm University), the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) was founded on 1 January 1972 as an independent unit and subsequently incorporated with Stockholm University in 1981, and with the Faculty of Social Sciences in 1994. The institute has ever since been located at Stockholm University and has over the years grown from about 20 employees at the start to about 110 in 2021.

Based on the statutes, the institute's research is focused on the labour market and social issues. Academically, researchers at SOFI belong to the fields of economics, sociology and law, but sometimes also political science and other related fields. Sociologists are usually active in the groups that work with either living standards issues or social policy. The economists are mainly labour market economists. The institute's professorships are focused on labour market issues, living standards and social policy.

Our research units

At SOFI, the activities are divided into three units for research and one educational unit. The three research units focus on labour market economics AME) living standards and (LNU ) social policy (SOCPOL). We also have a group for lawyers called Labour Market Law (AMR).

Professors of sociology and economics

In this day, about 110 people are employed at SOFI. Five professors in economics, especially labour market economics (Markus Jäntti, 2009-, Matthew Lindquist 2014-, Dan-Olof Rooth 2016-, Erik Lindqvist, 2018- and Johanna Rickne 2018-), three in sociology with a focus on social policy (Kenneth Nelson 2014- , Marie Evertsson, 2017-, Tomas Korpi 2017-), and three professors of sociology with a focus on living standards (Jan O. Jonson, 1998-, Carina Mood 2015- and Michael Tåhlin , 1998-). Professors in our AKPA education program are Ola Sjöberg (sociology, 2010-), Erik Bihagen (sociology, 2018-) and Anne Boschini (economics, 2021-). Professors Sten-Åke Stenberg, Thor Norström, Eskil Wadensjö and Marianne Sundström (re-employed), Anders Björklund (emeritus), Robert Erikson, Walter Korpi, Per Lundborg and Ann-Charlotte Stålberg (emeritus) also participate actively in the institute's activities.

All researchers at SOFI and teachers at AKPA as well as administrative staff are presented here

Our research

The research at SOFI focuses on four major areas where social institutions shape individual living conditions and life chances - institutions related to the labour market, welfare states, families and gender.

Our work is characterized by theoretically substantiated empirical analyzes of issues that have both scientific and practical significance. Economists, sociologists and lawyers strive for international competitiveness and recognition in their own disciplines. The research is often published in journals central to the fields of science, and the researchers participate in leading international research networks within their disciplines.

In our research, comparative analysis in advanced industrial societies has long been an integral part. Although studies of an individual country over time may be helpful in assessing the impact of institutional factors, comparisons between countries tend to be much more useful by taking into account greater institutional variation. Significant investments have been made to create comprehensive longitudinal databases, which offer unique research opportunities at an international level.

Here you can read more about the research databases available at SOFI

Postgraduate education at SOFI - economics and sociology

SOFI has close ties to the Department of Economics and the Department of Sociology at Stockholm University. SOFI researchers teach at these departments, and in particular the professors offer research courses in their fields. Students are admitted to a doctoral program at one of the departments and placed at SOFI. These doctoral students get office space at SOFI and are thus integrated into the daily research environment at the department, where they also have their degree supervisors. Since 1986, more than 60 doctoral dissertations have been produced at the institute.

SOFI also has a undergraduate education unit, the the Unit for Labour Market and Employment Relations - AKPA - where we conduct education in labour market issues linked to sociology, economics and labour law. The education consists of independent courses at the undergraduate level. AKPA has eight university lecturers, of which three are professors, who are responsible for teaching, and who at the same time conducts research at the institute and actively participates in its activities.

Last updated: 2025-12-05

Source: Institutionsnamn