
Enterprise-related services in East-Germany – an investigation of the service sector statistics
According to the national accounts in East Germany, the enterprise-related services have developed substantielly since 1990. This is expressed by the average annual increase of real gross value added of 9.5% (GDP: 4.9%) until 2000. According to the newly introduced service sector statistics (for 2000), firms in the East German enterprise related services have on average 9 employes, and thus, they are only slightly smaller than enterprises in West-Germany. Much bigger differences appear with respect to the average sales and productivity (60% or 45%). Various explanations exist. One major reason obviously is, that enterprises in East-Germany make smaller sales because of the clearly smaller size of enterprises which demand these services. Furthermore the smaller earning power of services demanding enterprises, differences in the branch structur of enterprise related services, and administrative regulations for prices play a role.