Do investment programs create more jobs in tight or in slack labor markets? We study this question using data from a … large, long-term photovoltaic invest scheme in Germany. Comparing counties with high and low unemployment both over time and … across space, we find that photovoltaic installations created at least twice as many jobs in slack than in tight labor …

Generous income support programs as provided by European welfare states have often been blamed to hamper employment …

normal retirement age in Germany did not prolong employment of older men. The reason for this surprising result is that … employers encouraged their employees to use the bridge options unemployment or partial retirement instead of the early … retirement option for the long-term insured. Bridge options allowed employers to terminate employment considerably earlier than …