Our research topics

Labour relations | Skills | Migration and integration | Welfare research

Fafo's research are centered around the following five research areas. These pages will guide you to more specific research topics and pages offering information about our researchers, publications and projects.

Labour relations

Labour migration

The EU expansions in 2004 and 2007 led to significant labour immigration to Norway. This provided businesses with access to labour but also brought challenges such as low-wage competition and labour market crime. Fafo researches how wages and working conditions are under pressure, as well as the working conditions for foreign workers.

The Nordic model

The Nordic countries have the world's smallest income disparities and highest standard of living. This is linked to the Nordic social model, characterised by extensive public welfare schemes, an organised labour market, and stable economic management. Fafo particularly researches how changes in the model affect employment, welfare, and distribution.

Wage formation

Norwegian working life is characterised by relatively small wage differences and decent working conditions. At the same time, Norwegian working life is changing, and as in many European countries, wage differences have increased. Fafo researches pay and working conditions, both across the breadth and depth of Norwegian working life.

Digitalization of work

Collective agreements

The organisations in working life (the social partners), collective agreements, and wage settlements constitute what is known as the collective working life. High levels of organisation and collective agreement coverage are prerequisites for the Norwegian labour market model. Central to this are the collective institutions that facilitate the social partners in reaching agreements on new collective agreements.

Workplace democracy

The cooperation between employees and employers in the workplace is a cornerstone of the Norwegian labour market model. Fafo has for several decades conducted research on how cooperation between the parties functions at various levels in Norwegian working life.

Skills

Vocational education and training (VET)

Vocational education and training constitute an important part of the education system. About half of the students in upper secondary education start a vocational education. A distinctive feature of vocational education is that it takes place in a combination of learning at school and learning in the workplace.

Dropout and attendance challenges in upper secondary education

Dropout from upper secondary education, particularly in vocational education and training, and among boys with an immigrant background, is a continuous concern in the public debate. The media’s focus is directed towards political interventions, social inequalities and youth risking permanent labour market marginalisation.

New skills at the work place

Working life is undergoing rapid change, which requires continuous learning throughout one’s career. Norwegian labour is expensive regardless of educational background, and wage differences are relatively moderate. This has made it profitable for companies to invest broadly in skills development and labour-saving technologies. At the same time, the conditions and frameworks for skills development vary between workplaces. In general, those with the lowest levels of formal education are the least likely to receive opportunities for further skills development.

School as arena for social development and learning

The Norwegian school system serves as a platform for both social development and academic learning. It is continuously evolving through various national and local initiatives aimed at improving students’ learning outcomes and learning environments.

Migration and integration

Exclusion and marginalisation

Children of immigrants

The multi-cultural society

Immigration has existed in Norway for many centuries. According to Statistics Norway (Statistisk sentralbyrå), immigrants, who stem from 200 countries, presently make up 14 per cent of the overall population.

Integration and skills

Migration

Inclusion of immigrants

A total number of 31 145 persons applied for asylum in Norway in 2015, representing a huge increase from the 11 000 who applied for asylum in 2014. This development follows a decade that has witnessed the largest growth of immigrants in modern times.

Welfare research

Labour market integration

Project details in Norwegian only, please contact the research coordinator for more information.

Living conditions and poverty

In the early 2000s, poverty was rediscovered as a social political issue in Norway. Since 2001, several action plans against poverty has been launched and all governments have had poverty alleviation as a goal in their governmental platforms. Several state subsidies to prevent poverty have been established and many poverty reduction initiatives have been developed in the municipalities.

Pensions, retirement behaviour and senior policy

At Fafo a group of researchers are working on pensions and benefits, including retirement and disability pension from the National Insurance, occupational pensions and contractual early retirement pension (AFP).

Services and service development