Erik O. Ellingsen

Erik O. Ellingsen
Name	Erik O. Ellingsen
Birth date	1950s
Nationality	Norwegian
Occupation	Economist, Professor, Researcher
Alma mater	Norwegian School of Economics; London School of Economics
Known for	Labor economics; health economics; field experiments

Erik O. Ellingsen

Erik O. Ellingsen is a Norwegian economist and social scientist known for empirical work on labor markets, health behavior, and incentive design. He has held academic posts at major European institutions and collaborated with scholars across Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. His research integrates randomized field experiments, natural experiments, and theoretical models to study behavior in contexts such as unemployment, workplace incentives, and public health programs.

Early life and education

Ellingsen was born and raised in Norway, completing undergraduate studies at the Norwegian School of Economics before pursuing graduate training abroad. He obtained advanced degrees at the London School of Economics where he engaged with scholars from the University of Oslo, Stockholm School of Economics, and University of Cambridge. During his formative years he was influenced by economists associated with the Cowles Commission, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and the Centre for Economic Policy Research, integrating traditions from behavioral economics, game theory, and welfare analysis.

Academic and research career

Ellingsen’s academic appointments include positions at the University of Oslo, visiting posts at the London School of Economics, and collaborations with research centers such as the Institute for Labor Economics (IZA), the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), and the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). He has taught courses linking empirical methods to policy at institutions like the Norwegian School of Economics, Stockholm University, and the University of Gothenburg. Ellingsen’s work frequently appears in journals and edited volumes alongside authors from the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and leading university presses.

He has led and participated in randomized controlled trials and natural experiment studies that drew attention from policymakers at the Norwegian Ministry of Labour, the Swedish Ministry of Finance, and the European Commission. Collaborators have included scholars tied to the Harvard Kennedy School, Princeton University, Yale University, and the University of Chicago. His empirical toolkit combines econometric techniques promoted by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the London School of Economics, and the University College London (UCL).

Major contributions and notable publications

Ellingsen is recognized for contributions to understanding how incentives, social preferences, and information affect labor supply, unemployment duration, and health-seeking behavior. He has published influential papers examining the interplay between monetary incentives and intrinsic motivation, drawing on literatures from the American Economic Association journals and interdisciplinary audiences at the Royal Economic Society conferences.

Notable publications include empirical studies that used field experiments to evaluate active labor market programs, unemployment insurance reforms, and counseling interventions associated with research networks such as the IZA World of Labor and the CEPR Policy Portal. His studies on patient adherence and preventive care connected to public health initiatives engaged with agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and national health authorities in Norway and Sweden.

Theoretical contributions addressed strategic behavior in labor contracts, referencing models and authors from the Rand Corporation tradition, the Cowles Commission, and game-theoretic frameworks advanced at the Institute for Advanced Study. Ellingsen’s work on social norms, reciprocity, and enforcement mechanisms cited parallels with research from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, the Stockholm School of Economics, and interdisciplinary centers at the University of California, Berkeley.

His publications often appeared in venues where policy dialogue intersected with academic research, including edited volumes produced by the Nordic Council, briefing series associated with the OECD, and journals connected to the European Economic Association.

Awards and honors

Ellingsen’s contributions have been recognized with fellowships and honors from institutions such as the Norwegian Research Council, visiting fellowships at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), and awards from regional academic societies like the Scandinavian Economic History Association. He received research grants supported by the European Research Council (ERC) framework and competitive funding from foundations tied to the Carnegie Corporation and Nordic research funds. Ellingsen has been invited to present keynote lectures at conferences organized by the Royal Economic Society, the European Association of Labour Economists, and the International Health Economics Association.

Personal life and legacy

Ellingsen has balanced an active research agenda with mentorship of doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers who went on to positions at the University of Oxford, Stockholm University, BI Norwegian Business School, and international research organizations including the World Bank and ILO. Colleagues and trainees credit his emphasis on rigorous empirical design and policy relevance, linking academic inquiry to practice in Scandinavian welfare institutions and international organizations. His legacy is visible in ongoing studies on labor market activation, incentive-compatible health interventions, and the diffusion of experimental methods across the Nordic research community and European policy networks.

Category:Norwegian economists Category:Behavioral economists