Labour economics is a very broad research field. In addition to research on labour market outcomes, such as wages and employment, the AME unit studies both elementary and higher education, health, taxes and income transfers, politics, crime and punishment, and gender equality.
At SOFI, labour economics research is primarily empirically oriented, but we also have theoretically oriented research.
Examples of research questions that have been studied recently are how independent schools affect academic success, how access to free lunch at school affects long-term labour market outcomes, how imprisonment affects health, and how promotion to a top job affects the likelihood of divorce differently for men and women.
Although the research includes very many areas and issues, it is often characterized by some common features. A large part of the research studies differences in financial outcomes or in education, within and between groups. Furthermore, much of the research also aims to comment on which policies can be recommended. The strong connection to politics is also reflected in the fact that many AME researchers participate in public investigations and in current public debate.
Researchers at the AME unit use a wide range of data sources for their research. In addition to data derived from administrative registers, data collected in part through surveys (often in combination with register data) are used. Some researchers also produce their own data in terms of field and laboratory experiments.
An important part of AME's activities consists of regular seminars where invited external researchers or our own employees present their research.
Labour economics is a broad research field that is closely related to several other social sciences. Several of the researchers within AME have collaborations with researchers in other fields of science such as sociology and political science.
This project analyzes labor mobility in the Swedish labor market. Since individuals are mostly mobile within their local labor markets, it is essential to consider the characteristics of regional economies to understand the mobility of labor. The project combines insights from labor economics, regional economics, and economic geography,
In this project we study the impact of technological change on inequality for labor market, family, demographic, and health outcomes of men and women, and for immigrants relative to natives.
Mental health disorders affect more than one billion individuals worldwide and represent one of the largest global health problems. The aim of this project is to provide clear and actionable information about which work related and organizational factors positively or negatively impact employees’ mental health.
Many countries have introduced student loans to support higher education participation and funding. However, the proportion of students who use loans seems to vary greatly across higher education systems. In this project, we investigate institutional and individual-level factors that influence student loan uptake.
Professor Johanna Rickne (Stockholm University) and Professor Olle Folke (Uppsala University) have received the 2023 Assar Lindbeck Medal for their groundbreaking research in gender equality and political economy. “It’s a joyous event to receive this award!” says Johanna Rickne.
José Montalban Castilla and Ola Sjöberg of The Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) at Stockholm University have received grants from the Swedish Research Council for projects in the fields of humanities and social sciences.
According to new research from the Swedish Institute for Social Research at Stockholm University, fewer apartment buildings are being constructed in areas where local politicians reside.
Karin Edmark, Associate Professor of Economics at the Swedish nstitute for Social Research (SOFI), has been appointed as a new member of the Swedish Fiscal Policy Council.
A new study examines the real-world impact of gender quotas in academic hiring committees in France. While intended to level the playing field, these measures have sparked a complex and counterintuitive dynamic.
