Albeda attended a
gymnasium in
Leeuwarden from May 1937 until March 1943. During the
German occupation Albeda wanted to continue his study but in March 1943 he refused to sign a loyalty oath to the
German occupation authority but to escape prosecution he was forced to enlist in the
Arbeitslager in the
German armored production industry in
Oberhausen. Following the end of
World War II Albeda served as a translator for the
United States Army from March 1945 until May 1945. Albeda worked as a civil servant for the
Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) of the
Ministry of Finance from May 1945 until June 1945 and for
De Nederlandsche Bank from June 1945 until November 1945. Albeda applied at the
Rotterdam School of Economics in April 1946 majoring in
Economics obtaining a
Bachelor of Economics degree in June 1947 before graduating with a
Master of Economics degree on 8 December 1950. Albeda worked as a researcher at the
Netherlands Economic Institute from April 1948 until September 1951. Albeda worked a financial adviser for the
Christian National Trade Union Federation (CNV) from September 1951 until January 1960. Albeda applied at the
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in July 1952 for a
postgraduate education in
Development economics and got a
doctorate as a
Doctor of Philosophy in Development economics on 22 February 1957. Albeda worked as a researcher for
Philips from January 1960 until November 1961. Albeda worked as a trade union leader for the National Christian Trade unions and served as General-Secretary from November 1961 until September 1966. Albeda worked as a professor of Development economics at the Rotterdam School of Economics from September 1966 until December 1977 and as a professor of
Labour law at the Rotterdam School of Economics from January 1973 until December 1977 and as a professor of Labour law and
Public administration at the
Delft Institute of Technology from February 1973 until December 1977. Albeda was elected to the
Senate after the
1960 Senate election, taking office on 20 September 1966 serving as a
frontbencher chairing the parliamentary committee for General Affairs and parliamentary committee for Economic Affairs and
spokesperson for economic affairs, social affairs, development cooperation and development aid. Albeda was selected as
parliamentary leader of the Anti-Revolutionary Party in the Senate following the appointment of
Gaius de Gaay Fortman as
Minister of the Interior in the
Den Uyl cabinet, taking office on 11 May 1973. After the
1977 general election Albeda was appointed as
Minister of Social Affairs in the
Van Agt–Wiegel cabinet, taking office on 19 December 1977. In April 1981 Albeda announced that he would not stand for the
1981 general election but wanted tot return to the Senate. After the
1981 Senate election Albeda returned to the Senate, taking office on 30 June 1981. Following the
1981 cabinet formation Boersma was not giving a cabinet post in the new cabinet; the Van Agt-Wiegel cabinet was replaced by the
Van Agt II cabinet on 11 September 1981 and he continued to serve in the Senate as a frontbencher and spokesperson for economic affairs and social affairs and deputy spokesperson for finance. Albeda became a distinguished professor of Economics at
Utrecht University, serving from 1 November 1981 until 1 January 1985 and also returned to the Social and Economic Council, serving from 1 December 1981 until 1 January 1985. In December 1984 Albeda was nominated as director of the
Scientific Council for Government Policy, serving from 1 January 1985 until 1 January 1990. ==Decorations==