East Germany: Number of Employees Subject to Social Insurance Will Continue to Increase
Hans-Ulrich Brautzsch
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 11,
2011
Abstract
In 2011 the employment situation in East Germany has again improved. Approximately half of the employment growth is attributable to the industry (incl. construction). Registered unemployment declined considerably. Labor supply decreased like in recent years. In forecasting horizon the number of employees subject to social insurance will still increase despite of lower economic growth. The unemployment rate will amount to 11.0% in 2011 and to 10.9% in 2012.
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The Political Setting of Social Security Contributions in Europe in the Business Cycle
Toralf Pusch, Ingmar Kumpmann
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 4,
2011
Abstract
Social security revenues are influenced by business cycle movements. In order to
support the working of automatic stabilizers it would be necessary to calculate social insurance contribution rates independently from the state of the business cycle. This paper investigates whether European countries set social contribution rates according to such a rule. By means of VAR estimations, country-specific effects can be analyzed – in contrast to earlier studies which used a panel design. As a result, some countries under investigation seem to vary their social contribution rates in a procyclical way.
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The coalition treaty from a fiscal point of view
Kristina vanDeuverden
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 12,
2005
Abstract
After weeks of negotiations the coalition finally agreed on the conditions for their political work. Not surprisingly, the coalition agreement is complex and intransparent – with a multitude of single measures far away from a precise definition. Quantifying the programme and estimating resulting cash flows is currently difficult; official calculations are – if at all – only partly available. Anyhow, the contract will form the basis for economic policy during the next four years; therefore its evaluation by now is indispensable. The thin red line of the agreement – not astonishingly when considering the precarious financial situation of the public sector – is consolidation. However, more than 80% of the consolidation volume results from the revenue side. Though one third of this is due to the cutback of tax exemptions, the lion’s share comes from raising tax rates, mainly the VAT standard rate. In contrast, cutting back public expenditure is minor and the agreement clearly comes short of the Koch/Steinbrück proposal; even new tax reliefs are created. The consolidation is almost completely borne by private households. Enterprises as a whole are barely hit. However, they have to wait until 2008 for a reform of company taxation – one of the most pressing problems in this legislative period. To reduce the companies tax burden until the reform starts the conditions for tax depreciation are temporarily relaxed. Anyway, from an international point of view the statutory tax rate is an important signal to enterprises deciding where to invest. Lowering effective tax rates by changing depreciation conditions is intransparent and, thus, will be less effective. Furthermore savings within the public sector are planned to accomplish consolidation; 10 billion Euro should result from efficiency gains and reduced expenditure. Consolidation measures mainly focus on the budget of the federal government. However, Länder and communities will participate in the additional tax revenues. In contrast, social securities will loose – and therefore also the share of employment that is subject to social insurance contribution. Particularly the unemployment insurance will be burdened by the decrease of its premium rate. Besides, the federal government will reduce its grants to the pension funds and most notably the health system. The contract is dominated by fiscal constraints. Cyclical requirements are considered only cursory and pressing structural reforms are put off. The reforms of company’s taxation, of fiscal federalism, of the health system as well as a proceeding reform of the labour market are only proposed. How and when measures in these fields are realised will determine whether fiscal policy can set a new course.
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Current trends: percentage of employments liable to social insurance larger in East Germany than in West Germany
Hans-Ulrich Brautzsch
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 1,
2005
Abstract
Die Arbeitsplatzdichte ist in den einzelnen Bundesländern sehr unterschiedlich. Je 1 000 Erwerbsfähige – das sind alle Personen im Alter von 15 bis 65 Jahren – sind in Bremen fast 60% mehr Personen erwerbstätig als in Brandenburg. Erhebliche Unterschiede bestehen auch hinsichtlich der Art von Beschäftigungsverhältnissen innerhalb der Landesgrenzen. In allen ostdeutschen Ländern, die gemeinsam mit Berlin über die geringste Zahl von Arbeitsplätzen je 1 000 Erwerbsfähigen verfügen, ist der Anteil der sozialversicherungspflichtigen Vollzeitbeschäftigten höher als in den westdeutschen Ländern.
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System change in statutory pension insurance does not solve the intergenerational distribution conflict
Olaf Fuchs
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 16,
2000
Abstract
The present German pension system needs to be reformed. The alternative to the present pay-as-you-go pension system is a fully funded system. This retirement system offers a higher rate of return to the now young. Nevertheless, the paper argues, that a transition to a fully funded system will not solve the fundamental problem of the German pension system, because the hidden debt of the present system would requires a tax rate which equalizes the burden of both systems.
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Low-paid employment – Empirical results and ideas on introducing mandatory social insurance
Jürgen Kolb, Lioba Trabert
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 4,
1996
Abstract
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The Regional Incidence of the Social Pension Insurance Budget in the Federal Republic of Germany
Ulrich Blum
Fiscal Decentralization,
1987
Abstract
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The Influence of the German Social Pension Insurance System on Private Savings and on Spatial Income Distribution
Ulrich Blum
Geld, Banken und Versicherungen III,
1985
Abstract
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