EU Eastern Enlargement and Structural Change: Specialization Patterns in Accession Countries and Economic Dynamics in the Single Market
Albrecht Kauffmann, P. J. J. Welfens, A. Jungmittag, C. Schumann
Diskussionsbeiträge des Europäischen Instituts für Internationale Wirtschaftsbeziehungen (EIIW), Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Nr. 106,
No. 106,
2003
Abstract
This paper analyses key issues of structural change and specialization patterns in the economies of an enlarged European Union. In all transition countries we observe a shift from the agricultural and industrial sector towards the service sector in terms of employment and productivity; however, in some countries a reindustrialisation drives is observed in a late transition stage. While some countries namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Estonia and Slovenia, have improved their productivity especially in medium-technology-intensive industries and may advance on the technological ladder, others remain unchanged and seem to get locked in labour-intensive industrial sectors. In the context of EU-enlargement, we expect trade creation – going along with a rise of intra-industry trade – and higher FDI-activities. Countries will have to adjust along the logic of comparative advantage, however, technological upgrading and human capital formation are fields in which government can stimulate the direction of comparative advantage. According to the Gerschenkron-hypothesis the accession countries have an “advantage of backwardness. Since accession countries have a low R&D-GDP ratio in the early transition stage rising government expenditures on research and development plus higher education is crucial. We expect the EU-15 countries in general to benefit from enlargement but gains will be asymmetric across countries: economic geography matters. Austria, Germany, the Scandinavian countries, the Netherlands, Italy and France are likely to profit more than the other members of EU-15. Germany and Austria additionally play a particularly crucial role as origins of FDI. Future research should focus on the speed and the scope of structural adjustment.
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Die Lage der Weltwirtschaft und der deutschen Wirtschaft im Frühjahr 2003
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 5,
2003
Abstract
The global economy is in the midst of a phase of weakness. In the course of next year, at the earliest, GDP will in many regions expand a little faster than potential output. The German economy, even, remains in a phase of prolonged weakness. In the second half of this year an economic recovery is expected to start here. However, it will proceed only slowly. Aggregate capacity utilisation will continue to decline, and the state of the labour market will deteriorate further. Although the recovery will firm next year and domestic demand will rise slightly, economic growth in Germany will continue to lack dynamism.
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Direct investments in Central and Eastern European acceding countries: Repercussions for the German labor market?
Constanze Dey
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 4,
2003
Abstract
In the light of the high unemployment in the Germany we ask whether German FDI to the CEEC is motivated mainly by cost differentials and takes the form of vertical investment which leads to an increased pressure on blue collar jobs in Germany. The analysis shows that German direct investment abroad is motivated both by reasons of market access and by cost differentials. About 60 % of all German FDI is directed toward the service sector. Here, no negative impact on the German labour market is to be expected. About 40 % of total German FDI may partly be motivated by cost advantages and lead to outsourcing. In the three most important CEEC recipient countries (Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary) about half of all FDI is directed toward the manufacturing industries (chemical industry and automobile industry in particular). This supports the hypothesis that vertical investment to these CEECs has been directed towards sectors that display cost advantages (i.e. low labour costs) which results in a decrease of the number of blue collar jobs and their respectives wages.
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Evaluation von Maßnahmen der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik mit Hilfe eines iterativen Matching-Algorithmus - Eine Fallstudie über langzeitarbeitslose Maßnahmeteilnehmer in Sachsen
Eva Reinowski, Birgit Schultz, Jürgen Wiemers
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 173,
2003
Abstract
The paper evaluates the effects of two labor market programs in Germany, namely the Job Creation- /Structural Adjustment Scheme and Vocational Training, on the unemployment duration of long term unemployed persons. The study uses data from the Mikrozensus Sachsen. A two step Nearest-Neighbor-Matching is employed to solve the sample selection problem. The first step is the estimation of the participation tendency to obtain potential pairs and to compute their Mahalanobis distances. For the assignment of pairs in the second step two different procedures are used: a standard technique and a new one - the iterative improvement of an initial assignment. This process is superior to the standard matching algorithms in the sense that it allows for a closer match between participants and non-participants. Including additional information about a person’s employment history enables us to eliminate the bias due to unobservables. The impact of participation in a labor market program is evaluated by comparing the unemployment duration between both groups using the Cox Proportional Hazard Model. Overall we find empirical evidence that both participation in Job Creation- /Structural Adjustment Scheme and Vocational Training result in even longer unemployment.
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East Germany 2003: No Trend Reversal in Employment
Hans-Ulrich Brautzsch
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 3,
2003
Abstract
The article describes the current situation at the East German labour market. It points out, that the East German labour market has been increasingly in disequilibrium. In 2003 the employment reduction will continue.
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IWH Economic Outlook 2003: Waiting for the Upswing in Germany - Waiting for Godot?
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 1,
2003
Abstract
The outlook forecasts the economic developments in the world, the Euro Area and Germany in 2003. A general tendency is given for 2004. The world economy and the US-economy are recovering in 2003 and so are providing positive impulses for the Euro Area. For Germany this impetus from abroad will most likely remain the sole driving force for the revival of economic activity in 2003. Still this external stimulus will not be able to develop its full strength, as the newly restrictive fiscal policy will lower disposable income. At the earliest the economic upturn will gain strength in the summer months. This results in an initially increased burden on the labour market and only in 2004 will a decline in unemployment be observable, albeit at a slow pace. In economic terms, the recent interest rate cut by the ECB should only be able to show modest effects. Fiscal Policy in 2003 will be distinctly restrictive.
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Regional Differentiation in East Germany: The Economic Situation of East German Districts at the Border to Lower Saxony
Rupert Kawka, Martin T. W. Rosenfeld
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 1,
2003
Abstract
The article deals with the question whether the counties in Sachsen-Anhalt being located along the border to Niedersachsen benefit from the vicinity to an economically stronger state so that regional development is better there than in other parts of Sachsen-Anhalt. It is shown that despite certain weaknesses concerning input factors, the output indicators show better results than the state´s average. Furthermore, the article focusses on the strong East-West commuter flows and on the preference of companies from Niedersachsen to invest in this region.
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Incentive effects of social welfare payments on the supply of low-paid labor
Hilmar Schneider, Cornelia Lang, Wolfram Kempe, Jürgen Kolb, Martin T. W. Rosenfeld
Schriften des IWH,
No. 12,
2002
Abstract
Im September 2000 hat das Bundesministerium der Finanzen dem IWH den Auftrag erteilt, eine Studie unter dem Titel "Zu den Anreizwirkungen der Sozialhilfe - Das Angebotsverhalten arbeitsfähiger Sozialhilfeempfänger" zu erstellen. Die Ausgangshypothese bestand darin, dass das gegenwärtige Transfersystem Fehlanreize im Hinblick auf die Erwerbsbereitschaft von arbeitsfähigen Sozialhilfeempfängern setzt. Für Personen, deren am Markt erzielbarer Lohn nicht hinreichend weit über dem Sozialhilfeanspruch liegt, ist die Aufnahme einer Erwerbstätigkeit relativ unattraktiv. Für diesen Personenkreis steigt das verfügbare Einkommen durch Aufnahme einer Erwerbstätigkeit nur unwesentlich an, da das Erwerbseinkommen fast vollständig auf die Sozialhilfe angerechnet wird. Davon betroffen sind vor allem gering Qualifizierte, aber auch Ältere. Daraus resultiert zum einen ein starker Anreiz zur Schwarzarbeit. Zum anderen dürfte in den angesprochenen Fehlanreizen eine der Hauptursachen der Langzeitarbeitslosigkeit zu suchen sein. Wer keine anderen Jobangebote erhält als solche, die gemessen an der Alternative des Transferbezugs unattraktiv erscheinen, und wer diese deshalb ausschlägt, gerät in einen schleichenden Prozess der Entwöhnung von Erwerbsarbeit. Früher oder später stellen sich die bekannten negativen Begleiterscheinungen ein: psychische Verletzungen, Verlust von Selbstwertgefühl und der Fähigkeit zur Selbstorganisation, Alkoholkonsum und dergleichen. Was an Arbeitsfähigkeit am Beginn eines solchen Prozesses noch vorhanden war, schwindet mit zunehmender Dauer der Arbeitslosigkeit.
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Capital for work: The JobFloater starts in November 2002
Herbert Buscher
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 13,
2002
Abstract
A critical review of some of the recommendations made by the Hartz commission, in particular the JobFloater module The author argues that this concept will not contribute to a visible improvement of the labor market situation unless further reforms are launched.
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Job-AQTIV Law - A critical assessment of the new active labor market policy instruments
Herbert Buscher, Tobias Hagen
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 11,
2002
Abstract
Seit dem 1. Januar 2002 ist das Job-AQTIV Gesetz in Deutschland in Kraft. Das Gesetz hat nicht nur die Absicht, gemeldete Stellen möglichst schnell und passgenau zu besetzen, sondern Personen, die zum Teil Arbeitslosigkeits- und Maßnahme-Karrieren hinter sich haben, intensiv zu betreuen, deren Suchaktivitäten zu überwachen und sie – bei Bedarf – in die für sie effektivsten Maßnahmen zu vermitteln. Diese Zielsetzung erklärt, wofür das Akronym AQTIV steht: Aktivieren, Qualifizieren, Trainieren, Investieren und Vermitteln. Aus einigen Neuregelungen durch das Job- AQTIV Gesetz ergeben sich neue Herausforderungen für die praktische Arbeitsmarktpolitik, aber auch die Evaluationsforschung. Natürlich ist es noch nicht möglich, die Auswirkungen des Job- AQTIV Gesetzes empirisch zu überprüfen. Gleichwohl sollen einige Erfahrungen aus der Evaluation Aktiver Arbeitsmarktpolitik (AAMP) sowie theoretische Überlegungen dazu genutzt werden, auf mögliche kritische Punkte hinzuweisen um Fehlentwicklungen zu vermeiden und Bedarf an Evaluationsforschung aufzuzeigen.1 Im Folgenden werden wichtige Neuerungen aufgrund des Job-AQTIV Gesetzes dargestellt und deren Bedeutung eingeschätzt.
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