It is responsible for the labour market, the working environment, pensions, welfare, social security, integration, immigration and asylum.

[2] Since 2023 the ministry has been led by Tonje Brenna of the Labour Party.

It has since seen changes to its nomenclature, which highlighted its responsibility on social affairs in 1916.

[1] Responsibility for labour affairs were transferred to the Ministry of Local Government in 1948, where it was until 1989 and again from 1993 to 1997.

The responsibilities were returned to social affairs in 2002, and inclusion was added to the title in 2006.