Das Produktivitätswachstum in der deutschen Industrie hat sich in den letzten Jahren verlangsamt. Zugleich ist die Heterogenität bei den Verläufen unter den Industriebranchen enorm. Was sind die ökonomischen Hintergründe, und lässt sich daraus eine tatsächliche Produktivitätsschwäche...

The European Social Model (ESM) is increasingly becoming a model of integration policy. The idea is based on a combination of economic efficiency, in the sense of high productivity, competition and economic growth, and a high level of employment on the one hand together with social cohesion on...

This article reviews the origins, development and impact of the European Employment Strategy against the backdrop of the employment performances and policies of the EU, from the early 1990s up to the mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy in 2005. It recalls how the issue of employment was put...

The Baltic states experienced strong economic growth and a rapid closing of the income gap with developed economies until the onset of the global fi nancial crisis. Since then they have seen a marked slowdown of economic growth. This raises the issue of whether the Baltic states might become...

In the early 1970s, hours worked per working-age person in Spain were higher than in the United States. Starting in 1975, however, hours worked in Spain fell by 40%. We find that 80% of the decline in hours worked can be accounted for by the evolution of taxes in an otherwise standard...

Productivity-enhancing structural reforms are crucial to the economic prospects of the EU. Indeed, such reforms are even more urgent in the current environment in which many economies are reaching the limits of the policy support they can provide to shore up demand. Moreover, even as some of the...

Im deutschen Dienstleistungssektor lässt sich seit langem eine Produktivitätsschwäche beobachten. Aber weisen wirklich alle Dienstleistungsbranchen geringe Produktivitätszuwächse auf, und wie lässt sich über längere Zeit niedriges Produktivitätswachstum erklären? Wo könnten in...

In the transition periods between new technologies, marked setbacks in productivity growth are possible. Whereas new private goods are not fully visible in national accounts, often only their negative substitution effects turn up. If this is a market phenomenon, it should be reflected in weaker...

Anlässlich der Bundestagswahl vom 26. September 2021 widmet sich dieses Zeitgespräch den Herausforderungen für die zukünftige Bundesregierung. Das Themenspektrum ist ähnlich vielfältig wie es die Vorstellungen der Parteien sind. Neben den Themen Digitalisierung, Dekarbonisierung sowie Aus-...