In der Öffentlichkeit wird oft die These vertreten, daß die zunehmende Ungleichheit der Lohneinkommen ökonomisch geboten, wenn auch gesellschaftspolitisch bedenklich sei. In diesem Beitrag wird gezeigt, daß die Lohnbildung in modernen Arbeitsmärkten nicht dem Prinzip der kompensierenden...

Some Remarks on Lujo Brentano's View of Labor Market Problems Lujo Brentano (1844-1931) aimed for "realism" in economics. Regarding labor market theory, two topics are of particular interest: His investigations on "Hours and Wages in Relation to Production" (Scribner's 1894) and his analysis "On...

Wage Dispersion and Efficiency. It is often assumed that markets generate efficient allocations, but these are not necessarily fair. The widening of wage differentials that is currently observed is interpreted in this manner: Skill-biased technological progress increases demand for skilled work...

The Labor Market and Employment (Handbook article). The labor market differs from typical markets in important ways. We find job competition and collective mechanisms that set wages and working conditions. Changes in employment bring about changes in wages and prices and entail political and...

Many contributions to the economics of religion postulate an "afterlife consumption motive." People are assumed to maximize total utility--including afterlife utility. This essay argues that the approach is unsatifactory for several reasons. First, many regularities in religious participation...