The Norwegian Labour And Welfare Administration Sign Editorial Image

The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (Norwegian: NAV, originally an abbreviation of Nye arbeids- og velferdsetaten) is the current Norwegian public welfare agency, which consists of the state Labour and Welfare Service as well as municipal welfare agencies. It is responsible for a third of the state budget of Norway, administering programs such as unemployment benefits, pensions, child benefits and more. The agency has 19,000 employees (14,000 in the state service). Its head is the Labour and Welfare Director, currently Joakim Lystad, who is appointed by the government.