Does time-varying business volatility affect the price setting of firms and thus the transmission of monetary policy into the real economy? To address this question, we estimate from the firm-level micro data of the German IFO Business Climate Survey the impact of idiosyncratic volatility on the...

[Conclusion] This module tests whether regional differences in banking market competition and other bank traits can explain differences in regional industry output growth. For identification we rely on the assumptions that different sectors of the economy require structurally different levels of...

In early 2013 rumors about the Euro-appreciation gained momentum, which may lead to decreases in exports and increases in imports of the member states. Therefore, we investigate the impact of changes in the nominal Euro exchange rate vis-à-vis major currencies on export and import performance...

There is an intensive debate about old-age poverty in Germany that has induced political parties to develop proposals for higher pensions of poor pensioners in light of the federal elections of September 2013. In addition, several proposals from economists aim at reforming the pension system in...

Arbeitslosigkeit und insbesondere Jugendarbeitslosigkeit stellt eine der größten wirtschaftsund sozialpolitischen Herausforderungen dar. Maßnahmen der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik (AAMP) - wie Fortbildung, Lohnsubventionen und öffentliche Beschäftigungsförderung für Arbeitsuchende - gelten...

The intensity of the Euro-crisis was reflected by significant increases of sovereign bond yields in the troubled countries. This has launched a hot debate whether this increase can solely be attributed to fundamental factors like e.g. rescue programmes, rising budget deficits, deteriorating...