Magne Bråthen

Magne Bråthen serves as a Research Professor at Oslo Metropolitan University, affiliated with the Centre for Welfare and Labour Research within the Work Research Institute. His research centers on labor market integration, welfare policy evaluation, and NAV service organization, with significant contributions to understanding employment barriers for vulnerable populations.

Bråthen holds a PhD in social work and social policy, providing foundational expertise for his empirical analyses of welfare systems. His educational background enables rigorous examination of policy reforms through quantitative register data and mixed-method approaches.

Primary research interests include Labor Market Integration, Social Policy, and Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups, with specific focus on NAV counselors' employer collaboration practices and characteristics of disability-inclusive workplaces. His work bridges labor economics, social work, and public administration to address systemic barriers in welfare-to-work transitions.

Analysis of Bråthen's 2020-2025 publications reveals consistent emphasis on mental health in labor participation, ALMP effectiveness, and disability inclusion. His research leverages Norwegian register data while incorporating implementation science frameworks like COM-B, demonstrating methodological versatility across social work and labor economics disciplines.

Bråthen leads the ongoing "Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration's Labour Market Engagement" project examining NAV-employer collaboration, and previously completed the ENGAGE project on SME employment of hard-to-place citizens and the Nordic WELLIFE collaboration on life-course inequalities. These projects secure substantial research funding through institutional partnerships with NAV.

As core member of the Organization of the Welfare State research group, Bråthen contributes to OsloMet's Centre for Welfare and Labour Research through policy-relevant studies on NAV service design, labor market programs, and welfare state evolution in Nordic contexts.