Using linked employer-employee panel data for Germany, this paper investigates whether firms implement real wage reductions in a selective manner. In line with insider-outsider and several strands of efficiency wage theory, we find strong evidence for selective wage cuts with high-productivity...

In this paper the effects of different institutional scenarios on rent creation and rent distribution in a labour market are studied. Rent is generated by sinking costs in human capital investment and this rent is distributed between firms and workers by the wage set. In the bench-mark scenario...

This paper finds substantial effects of ICT investments on productivity for a large and representative German establishment panel data set. In contrast to the bulk of the literature also establishments without ICT capital are included and lagged effects of ICT investments are analysed. In...

Using matched employer-employee data from the German LIAB for 2001, the authors found that German works councils are in general associated with higher earnings, even after accounting for establishment- and worker heterogeneity. Works council wage premia exceed those of collective bargaining and...

This paper provides evidence of the productivity effects of different continuing vocational training forms in Germany. Using the waves 1997-2001 of the IAB establishment panel, it is found that formal external courses have the largest positive impact on productivity. Formal internal courses and...

This paper shows that investment inhuman capital may be another reason for incentive wages in addition to "retain, recruit and motivate". It is shown under which circumstances firms pay wages in excess of the market clearing level in order to induce workers to invest. Investment in human capital...