Areas of Research

• Light entrepreneurship and platform work
• Employment and pension accrual of informal carers
• Rehabilitation and disability
• Partial old-age pensions
• Young people’s transition to working life

Presentation

My main research interests are in the field of labour economics, such as labour force participation, career and earnings development, and pension accumulation. I am also interested in issues at the intersection of health, work ability and working life.  

I have a Ph.D. in Economics from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). I have specialised in quantitative research methods, including causal analysis. In recent years I have also worked with qualitative research.

I have previously worked as a consultant, which has taught me to familiarise myself with new topics, see things from different perspectives and work with different stakeholders. I have good cooperation and interaction skills and speak several languages.

• CV (pdf)
• ORCID
• ResearchGate

Ongoing research projects

• The careers of light entrepreneurs 
• Enrings and pension accrual of informal carers
• Rehabilitees’ view on the process of vocational rehabilitation
• Changes in earnings after drawing the partial old-age pension
• The link between the rising earnings-related pension index and drawing a partial old-age pension
• The work history of young disability pensioners
• Research on platform work, combining it with other work and career consequences in Finland

Read more: Ongoing Research Projects.

Publications

• Sten-Gahmberg, S. & Heinänen, J. & Kuivalainen, S. (2024) Työikäisten omaishoitajien työurat, ansiotulot ja eläkekarttumat: Rekisteripohjainen tarkastelu sopimusomaishoitajista 2005–2023. [Employment, earnings, and pension accumulation of working-age informal carers : A register-based study of contracted informal carers 2005–2023]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 08/2024.
• Liukko, J. & Pasanen, J. & Sten-Gahmberg, S. (2024) Kuntoutujien näkemyksiä työeläkekuntoutuksen hyödyistä ja kehittämiskohteista : Työkokeiluun osallistuneiden kuntoutujien haastatteluihin perustuva tutkimus. [Rehabilitees’ perspective on the benefits and development areas of rehabilitation under the earnings-related pension system: Study based on interviews with rehabilitees participating in a work trial]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 06/2024.
• Sten-Gahmberg, S. & Riekhoff, A.-J. (2024) Light entrepreneurs in Finland : A longitudinal study of careers, income and pension accrual. Finnish Centre for Pensions, Studies 04/2024.
• Ilmakunnas, I. & Sten-Gahmberg, S. (2024) Palkkatulot ennen ja jälkeen osittaisen varhennetun vanhuuseläkkeen ottamisen. [Wage income before and after taking out a partial old-age pension]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 01/2024.
• Liukko, J. & Pasanen, J. & Sten-Gahmberg, S. (2023) Kuntoutujien näkökulma työeläkekuntoutuksen suunnitteluun : Työkokeiluun osallistuvien kuntoutujien haastatteluihin perustuva tutkimus. [Rehabilitees’ perspective on rehabilitation planning under the earnings-related pension system. Study based on interviews with rehabilitees participating in a work trial.] Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia : 05/2023.
• Polvinen, A. &  Tenhunen, S. & Järnefelt, N. & Kivelä, M. & Kuivalainen, S. & Nivalainen, S. & Sten-Gahmberg, S. (2023) Työnteko vanhuuseläkkeellä : Kyselytutkimus palkkatyöstä vanhuuseläkkeelle vuosina 2019-2021 siirtyneille. [Working in retirement. Survey of persons retiring from work on an old-age pension in 2019–2021.] Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 04/2023. 
• Bråten, R. H. & Sten-Gahmberg, S. & Bugge, C. & Kristiansen, I. S. & Gardsjord, E. S. & Sæther, E. M. (2023). Økt bruk av psykiske diagnoser for unge. Tidsskrift for norsk psykologforening.
• Bråten, R. H. ja Sten-Gahmberg, S. (2022). Unge uføre og veien til uføretrygd. Søkelys på arbeidslivet, 39, (1), p.1-19.