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The Social Capital Legacy of Communism-results from the Berlin Wall Experiment

Peter Bönisch, Lutz Schneider
European Journal of Political Economy, Nr. 32, 2013
Abstract
In this paper we establish a direct link between the communist history, the resulting structure of social capital, and attitudes toward spatial mobility. We argue that the communist regime induced a specific social capital mix that discouraged geographic mobility even after its demise. Theoretically, we integrate two branches of the social capital literature into one more comprehensive framework distinguishing an open type and a closed type of social capital. Using the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) we take advantage of the natural experiment that separated Germany into two parts after the WWII to identify the causal effect of social capital on mobility. We estimate a three equation ordered probit model and provide strong empirical evidence for our theoretical propositions.
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Establishment Exits in Germany: The Role of Size and Age

Daniel Fackler, Claus Schnabel, J. Wagner
Small Business Economics, Nr. 3, 2013
Abstract
Using comprehensive data for West Germany, this paper investigates the determinants of establishment exit. We find that between 1975 and 2006 the average exit rate has risen considerably. In order to test various “liabilities” of establishment survival identified in the literature, we analyzed the impact of establishment size and put a special focus on differences between young and mature establishments. Our empirical analysis shows that the mortality risk falls with establishment size, which confirms the liability of smallness. The probability of exit is substantially higher for young establishments which are not more than 5 years old, thus confirming the liability of newness. There also exists a liability of aging since exit rates first decline over time, reaching a minimum at ages 15–18, and then rise again somewhat. The determinants of exit differ substantially between young and mature establishments, suggesting that young establishments are more vulnerable in a number of ways.
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Is There a Gap in the Gap? Regional Differences in the Gender Pay Gap

Boris Hirsch, Marion König, Joachim Möller
Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Nr. 4, 2013
Abstract
In this paper, we investigate regional differences in the gender pay gap both theoretically and empirically. Within a spatial model of monopsonistic competition, we show that more densely populated labour markets are more competitive and constrain employers’ ability to discriminate against women. Utilizing a large administrative data set for western Germany and a flexible semi-parametric propensity score matching approach, we find that the unexplained gender pay gap for young workers is substantially lower in large metropolitan than in rural areas. This regional gap in the gap of roughly 10 percentage points remained surprisingly constant over the entire observation period of 30 years.
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How Firms Respond to Business Cycles: The Role of Firm Age and Firm Size

Teresa C. Fort, John Haltiwanger, Ron S. Jarmin, Javier Miranda
IMF Economic Review, Nr. 3, 2013
Abstract
There remains considerable debate in the theoretical and empirical literature about the differences in the cyclical dynamics of firms by firm size. This paper contributes to the debate in two ways. First, the key distinction between firm size and firm age is introduced. The evidence presented in this paper shows that young businesses (that are typically small) exhibit very different cyclical dynamics than small/older businesses. The second contribution is to present evidence and explore explanations for the finding that young/small businesses were hit especially hard in the Great Recession. The collapse in housing prices accounts for a significant part of the large decline of young/small businesses in the Great Recession.
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Subsidized Vocational Training: Stepping Stone or Trap? – Assessing Empirical Effects using Matching Techniques

Eva Dettmann, Jutta Günther
Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Nr. 4, 2013
Abstract
Using replacement matching on the basis of a statistical distance function we try to answer the question of whether subsidized vocational training is related to a negative image effect for the graduates. The results show that young people with equal qualifications acquired during subsidized vocational training are disadvantaged solely due to the kind of education they have received. The probability of finding adequate employment is lower than in the control group. Besides the 'general effect' of support we also find less favorable job opportunities for those who attended 'external' as compared to 'workplace-related' training.
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Der Einfluss von Hausarbeit auf die Löhne in Deutschland

Boris Hirsch, Thorsten Konietzko
Journal for Labour Market Research, Nr. 2, 2013
Abstract
Auf Grundlage zweier deutscher Datensätze, des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels und der Zeitbudgeterhebung, untersucht dieser Beitrag den Einfluss der für Hausarbeit aufgewandten Zeit auf die Löhne. Im Gegensatz zum Gros der internationalen Forschungsliteratur findet sich kein negativer Effekt der Hausarbeit auf die Löhne. Dieses Ergebnis zeigt sich in West- wie Ostdeutschland sowohl für Frauen und Männer, für verheiratete Individuen und Singles als auch für Teilzeit- und Vollzeitbeschäftigte. Unsere Ergebnisse ändern sich zudem nicht, wenn wir verschiedene Formen von Hausarbeit unterscheiden oder die Endogenität der geleisteten Hausarbeit in den Lohnregressionen mithilfe von Instrumentvariablenschätzungen berücksichtigen.
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The Impact of Female Managers on the Gender Pay Gap: Evidence from Linked Employer–Employee Data for Germany

Boris Hirsch
Economics Letters, Nr. 3, 2013
Abstract
We find that increasing the female share in first-level management by 10% points decreases the unexplained within-job gender pay gap by 0.5 log points. The effect is more pronounced for the female share in second-level than in first-level management.
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Who Creates Jobs? Small versus Large versus Young

John Haltiwanger, Ron S. Jarmin, Javier Miranda
The Review of Economics and Statistics, Nr. 2, 2013
Abstract
The view that small businesses create the most jobs remains appealing to policymakers and small business advocates. Using data from the Census Bureau's Business Dynamics Statistics and Longitudinal Business Database, we explore the many issues at the core of this ongoing debate. We find that the relationship between firm size and employment growth is sensitive to these issues. However, our main finding is that once we control for firm age, there is no systematic relationship between firm size and growth. Our findings highlight the important role of business start-ups and young businesses in U.S. job creation.
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Proximity and the Transfer of Academic Knowledge: Evidence from the Spatial Pattern of Industry Collaborations of East German Professors

Viktor Slavtchev
Regional Studies, Nr. 5, 2013
Abstract
Nähe und Übertragung von akademischem Wissen: Belege aus dem räumlichen Muster der Kooperation zwischen ostdeutschen Professoren und der Industrie, Regional Studies. Universitäten können die ökonomische Entwicklung von Regionen stimulieren, insbesondere durch Kooperation mit der lokalen Industrie. Die vorliegende Studie analysiert, wann solche Kooperationen lokal stattfinden. Die existierende Literatur deutet daraufhin, dass aufgrund von tacidem Wissen und der Bedeutung geographischer Nähe Kooperationen überwiegend lokal stattfinden. Die vorliegende Studie findet Evidenz, dass das räumliche Muster von Kooperationen zwischen Universitäten und der Industrie als Resultat eines komplexen Matching-Prozesses zwischen Partnern mit geeigneten Charakteristika betrachtet werden kann. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass individuelle, relationale sowie institutionelle Charakteristika der Akteure eine wichtige Rolle für die Partnerwahl spielen. Demnach sind lokale Kooperationen nicht zwingend.
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A Note on Income Aspirations, Television and Happiness

Lutz Schneider
Kyklos, Nr. 2, 2013
Abstract
In their innovative and frequently cited study on the impact watching television (TV) has on income aspirations and happiness, Luigino Bruni and Luca Stanca 2006, henceforth B&S) offer an alternative explanation of Easterlin's income-happiness paradox: “television viewing in contemporary society, by raising material aspirations, contributes to offset the effect of higher income on individual happiness” (B&S, p. 225). More generally, the paper contributes to the literature of economic psychology, addressing the determinants and formation of preferences. While the theoretical analysis of B&S and the hypothesis on the effect of TV on material aspirations are well-grounded, the empirical evidence they present to corroborate the TV hypothesis is rather weak. After correcting a technical inaccuracy of B&S' empirical analysis one obtains results which no longer confirm a significant, positive and robust impact of TV consumption on material aspirations. As discussed in the third section, the revised empirical result does not disprove B&S' main hypothesis on the role of TV in shaping individual preferences. However, it suggests applying a more direct approach of measuring the effect of TV on aspiration than that performed in B&S's empirical analysis.
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