The following dissertation is a collection of four stand-alone research papers. The common theme of all papers is the analysis of the decision of heterogeneous individuals about investing in education. The first paper analyses how these decisions affect the impact of globalisation or...

We develop a model of education where individuals face educational risk. Successfully entering the skilled labor sector depends on individual effort in education and public resources, but educational risk still causes (income) inequality. We show that an optimal public policy consists of...

In this model of education, where individuals are exposed both to educational risk and to wage risk within the skilled sector, successful graduation depends both on individual effort to study and on public resources. We show that insuring the present risks is a dichotomic task: Wage risk is...

In a search-theoretic two region model, we analyse the impact of unskilled immigration and skill biased technological change on native wages and unemployment in local labour markets. We show that a specific combination of number and skills of immigrants generates a technology adoption of firms...

We analyze whether a redistributive government should provide ex ante insurance against unfortunate outcomes or whether it should instead rely on transfers for redistributing income ex post. To this end, we develop a model of education in which individuals face educational risk and wage...

The euro area is experiencing a severe and highly complex crisis. It comprises three problem areas, the difficulties of some highly indebted European sovereigns to ascertain funding at palatable cost, the disconcerting fragility of the European banking system and disappointing growth prospects...

The intensity of the Euro-crisis was reflected by significant increases of sovereign bond yields in the troubled countries. This has launched a hot debate whether this increase can solely be attributed to fundamental factors like e.g. rescue programmes, rising budget deficits, deteriorating...

The intensity of the Euro-crisis was reflected by significant increases of sovereign bond yields in the troubled countries. This has launched a hot debate whether this increase can solely be attributed to fundamental factors like e.g. rescue programmes, rising budget deficits, deteriorating...

The current state of affairs in the euro area (EA) instills hope in economic recovery but also substantial concern. The crisis countries have made considerable, albeit quite uneven, progress in central areas of reform. Yet severe obstacles remain. Moreover, European policy makers have reformed...

In der aktuellen Debatte über die Target2-Salden im Eurosystem wurde zu deren Abbau das Ausgleichsverfahren der Federal Reserve in den USA vorgeschlagen. Der dortige Ausgleichsmechanismus ist jedoch rein bilanzieller Natur und führt lediglich zu einer Neuaufteilung der Aktivseite des...