Badr-El-Din A. Ibrahim:"Poverty Alleviation via Islamic Banking Finance to Micro-Enterprises in Sudan: Some lessons for poor countries
Tobias Knedlik, K. (eds.) Wohlmuth
Sudan Economic Research Group Discussion Papers, No. 35,
2003
Abstract
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Will there be a shortage of skilled labor? An East German perspective to 2015
Herbert S. Buscher, Eva Dettmann, Marco Sunder, Dirk Trocka
Applied Economics Quarterly Supplement,
2009
Abstract
We analyze the supply and demand of skilled labor in an East German federal state, Thuringia. This state has been facing high unemployment in the course of economic transformation and experiences population aging and shrinking more rapidly than most West European regions. In a first step, we use extrapolation techniques to forecast labor supply and demand for the period from 2009 to 2015, disaggregated by type of qualification. The analysis does not corroborate the notion of an imminent skilled-labor shortage but provides hints for a tightening labor market for skilled workers. In a second step, we ask firms about their appraisal of future recruitment conditions, and both current and planned strategies in the context of personnel management. The majority of firms plans to expand further education efforts and to hire older workers. The study closes with policy recommendations to prevent occupational mismatch.
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Children, Career, and Compromises: To what Extent does Offspring Affect Labour Force Participation and Career Opportunities of Women in Germany?
Alexander Kubis, Lutz Schneider, Marco Sunder
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 11,
2009
Abstract
Germany faces a substantial challenge from demographic change in the forthcoming decades. While large cohorts reach retirement age, the working-age population shrinks. One option to curtail economic effects of this imbalance is to increase female labour force participation. The study uses data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) to analyze the impact of children on careers of women in East and West Germany, respectively in terms of participation and realized wages or occupational prestige. Results indicate strong regional differences, with East German mothers returning much faster to the labour market than their western peers. Participation rates – especially full-time employment – of the latter group remain permanently below levels of childless women. Careers of East German mothers are hampered by a higher risk of unemployment. The mother wage gap is relatively large among western mothers and remains so even after taking into account previous experience and unobserved heterogeneity. The study documents a negative and statistically significant relationship between children and occupational prestige only for West Germany. The observed career differences between mothers in both parts of the country may be rooted in a larger supply of institutionalized child-care arrangements in East Germany.
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East German Labour Market
Hans-Ulrich Brautzsch
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 11,
2009
Abstract
In the course of 2009, due to the great decline of production activities, the situation in the East German labor market deteriorated. The number of employees decreased and the registered unemployment rose slowly in the first half of this year. In this situation, reducing working time by extending short-time work turned out to be a very useful instrument. Besides, labour market policy measures were expended. Furthermore, labour supply, like in recent years, decreased. In 2010, the situation on the East German labour market will worsen due to low production growth.
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The Gender Pay Gap under Duopsony: Joan Robinson meets Harold Hotelling
Boris Hirsch
Scottish Journal of Political Economy,
No. 5,
2009
Abstract
This paper presents an alternative explanation of the gender pay gap resting on a simple Hotelling-style duopsony model of the labour market. Since there are only two employers, equally productive women and men have to commute and face travel cost to do so. We assume that some women have higher travel cost, e.g., due to more domestic responsibilities. Employers exploit that women on average are less inclined to commute and offer lower wages to all women. Since women's firm-level labour supply is for this reason less wage-elastic, this model is in line with Robinson's explanation of wage discrimination.
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Returning to East Germany: Labour Market Success Reduces Re-migration Potential
D. Wiest, Lutz Schneider, Alexander Kubis
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 9,
2009
Abstract
In the public debate, the brain drain from East Germany is supposed to be the most critical trend regarding the development and catching-up of the New Länder. Therefore, potential for in- and re-migration has attracted much attention at least in the political context. Our contribution analyses the re-migration potential on the basis of data from a DFG research project focusing on the re-migration intentions of people formerly emigrated from Saxony-Anhalt. The analysis concentrates on two aspects: firstly on the effect of job market success after emigration; secondly on the impact of social ties in the origin and the host region on the re-migration potential. The econometric results confirm the expected effects: On the one hand, an individual’s job market success in the target region reduces the re-migration potential. Likewise, the re-migration potential increases for people whose former expectations were disappointed. On the other hand, the analysis shows the relevance of social ties to the region of origin for re-migration potential.
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Openness and Growth: The Long Shadow of the Berlin Wall
Claudia M. Buch, Farid Toubal
Journal of Macroeconomics,
No. 3,
2009
Abstract
The question whether international openness causes higher domestic growth has been subject to intense discussions in the empirical growth literature. This paper addresses the issue in the context of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. We analyze whether the slow convergence in per capita incomes between East and West Germany and the lower international openness of East Germany are linked. We address the endogeneity of openness by adapting the methodology proposed by Frankel and Romer (1999) to a panel framework. We instrument openness with time-invariant exogenous geographic variables and time-varying exogenous policy variables. We also distinguish the impact of different channels of integration. Our paper has three main findings. First, geographic variables have a significant impact on regional openness. Second, controlling for geography, East German states are less integrated into international markets along all dimensions of integration considered. Third, the degree of openness for trade has a positive impact on regional income per capita.
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Barriers to Internationalization: Firm-Level Evidence from Germany
Claudia M. Buch
IAW Discussion Paper No. 52,
2009
Abstract
Exporters and multinationals are larger and more productive than their domestic
counterparts. In addition to productivity, financial constraints and labor market
constraints might constitute barriers to entry into foreign markets. We present new
empirical evidence on the extensive and intensive margin of exports and FDI based on detailed micro-level data of German firms. Our paper has three main findings. First, in line with earlier literature, we find a positive impact of firm size and productivity on firms’ international activities. Second, small firms suffer more frequently from financial constraints than bigger firms, but financial conditions have no strong effect on internationalization. Third, labor market constraints constitute a more severe barrier to foreign activities than financial constraints. Being covered by collective bargaining particularly impedes international activities.
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Industrielle Cluster als Ursache regionaler Prosperität? Zur Konvergenz deutscher Arbeitsmarktregionen 1996-2005
Alexander Kubis, Matthias Brachert, Mirko Titze
Raumforschung und Raumordnung,
/6
2009
Abstract
This paper explores the impact of industrial clusters on regional growth at level of Germany’s functionally defined labour market regions (AMR) within a regional convergence model. It focuses especially on the role of the co-location of vertically connected industrial sectors. Based on works of Schnabl (2000) it is possible to identify three different effects of industrial clusters on regional economic performance. Beside the effect of regionally concentrated economic sectors (horizontal clusters) and value adding chains (vertical clusters) on the region itself, we are able to control for regional spillover effects of industrial clusters. Further the study allows the isolated examination of the impact of industrial cluster while taking regional convergence into consideration. It is possible to demonstrate positive growth effects of industrial clusters along with an overall process of convergence as same as with a specific eastern one. Therefore industrial cluster present an opportunity to explain deficits within the process of East-West-Convergence. Their relative absence of industrial clusters in Eastern Germany influences the growth potential in a negative way.
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