This paper deals with the much discussed question how to design labor market policy in a global economy. The starting point of the paper is the fact that national unemployment rates differ greatly, which alludes to country-specific institutional factors being the most plausible culprit for...

The paper shows that a more flexible labor market is unequivocally necessary for a lasting and substantial reduction of unemployment. It furthermore points out that a more flexible labor market is even beneficial from a long-run distributional point of view. Hence, the key to liberalizing the...

Die Familienpolitik ist in jüngster Zeit ins Zentrum der wirtschaftspolitischen Debatte in Deutschland gerückt. Der Beitrag analysiert, ob es aus ökonomischer Sicht Gründe dafür gibt, dass der Staat familienpolitische Verantwortung übernehmen sollte und welche Reformen im...

While policymakers in Europe were busy implementing EMU during the past decade, persistently high unemployment, which should have been the main policy issue from a normative point of view, was essentially left untackled in most continental European countries. This poses the urgent question of...

This paper discusses the reasons for the dismal labor market performance of Germany over the last three decades along with potential remedies. It argues that labor market rigidities along with a generous welfare state in conjunction with certain changes in the economic environment are important...

Die Familienpolitik ist in jüngster Zeit ins Zentrum der wirtschaftspolitischen Debatte in Deutschland gerückt. Der Beitrag analysiert, ob es aus ökonomischer Sicht Gründe dafür gibt, dass der Staat familienpolitische Verantwortung übernehmen sollte und welche Reformen im...

EMU started with eleven member countries as scheduled on January 1, 1999. The paper shows that the primacy of politics over economics in this decision could have serious consequences concerning the stability of EMU in the transition phase. Speculative attacks against currencies which are in...

The paper shows that a more flexible labor market is unequivocally necessary for a lasting and substantial reduction of unemployment. It furthermore points out that a more flexible labor market is even beneficial from a long-run distributional point of view. Hence, the key to liberalizing the...