Using firm-level panel data from the German cost structure survey over the period 1992 to 2000, our empirical analysis shows that firms that increased material inputs relative to internal labor costs performed better in terms of gross operating surplus than other firms. However, firms that...

Es ist in der Wissenschaft nahezu einhellige Ansicht, daß die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit ostdeutscher Unternehmen durch zu hohe Lohnkosten beeinträchtigt wird. Zu diesem Urteil gelangt man, wenn man die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit eines Unternehmens an Hand des in makroökonomischen Analysen üblichen...

Using firm-level panel data from the German cost structure survey over the period 1992 to 2000, our empirical analysis shows that firms that increased material inputs relative to internal labor costs performed better in terms of gross operating surplus than other firms. However, firms that...