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Zum Entwurf der Fünften Mindestlohnanpassungsverordnung
No full textNach dem Beschluss der Mindestlohnkommission vom 27. Juni 2025 soll der gesetzliche Mindestlohn in Deutschland zum 1. Januar 2026 auf 13,90 Euro pro Stunde und zum 1. Januar 2027 auf 14,60 Euro pro Stunde steigen. Mit dieser Stellungnahme beurteilen die Autoren den Beschluss auf Basis der wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnisse des Instituts für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung und gehen insbesondere auf die Lohn- und Beschäftigungswirkungen des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns ein.Following the decision of the Minimum Wage Commission on June 27, 2025, the statutory minimum wage in Germany is set to rise to €13.90 per hour on January 1, 2026 and to €14.60 per hour on January 1, 2027. In this statement, the authors evaluate the decision on the basis of scientific evidence from the Institute for Employment Research, focusing in particular on the effects of the statutory minimum wage on wages and employment
Does it (Re)pay to be Female? Considering Gender in Microfinance Loan Officer-Client Pairs
No full textThis paper examines the effect of the gender combination of client-loan officer pairs on loan repayment in an Ecuadorian microfinance institution. We show that among the four possible client-loan officer gender pairs i.e., female client-female loan officer, female client-male loan officer, male client-male loan officer and male client-female loan officer, the most favorable pairs in terms of repayment are those with female loan officers whereas the least favorable are those with male loan officers. We also show that repayment is even further enhanced for all client-loan officer pairs when the client’s previous loan officer was a woman. Our findings point to relational differences between male and female loan officers when interacting with microfinance clients, which is also highlighted by our qualitative insights from the field
Ältere Leistungsberechtigte in der Grundsicherung
No full textErwerbsfähige Personen, die arbeitslos sind oder über wenig Einkommen verfügen, können in Deutschland Leistungen der Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende nach SGB II beziehen, um ihren Lebensunterhalt zu sichern. Dies gilt grundsätzlich auch für ältere Leistungsbeziehende bis zur Regelaltersgrenze. Allerdings waren bis zum Jahr 2022 Leistungsberechtigte ab dem Alter von 63 Jahren verpflichtet, aus der Grundsicherung in die gesetzliche Rentenversicherung zu wechseln, falls sie die notwendigen Versicherungsjahre für einen vorzeitigen Renteneintritt haben. Mit dem Bürgergeldgesetz, das zum 1.1.2023 in Kraft trat, wurde diese in §12a SGB II festgelegte Regelung befristet bis Ende 2026 ausgesetzt. Ziel der Reform ist es unter anderem, ältere Leistungsberechtigte im Arbeitsmarkt zu halten. Um die Erwerbspotenziale von älteren Leistungsberechtigten einschätzen zu können, auf die die vorrübergehende Aussetzung von §12a SGB II abzielt, bedarf es deren Charakterisierung. Dieser Forschungsbericht betrachtet deshalb ältere Leistungsberechtigte ab 55 Jahren im SGB II anhand verschiedener Datenquellen. Dabei werden Informationen zum Bestand im und zu den Abgängen aus dem Leistungsbezug bereitgestellt. Auch die Arbeitsmarktnähe sowie die spezifischen Lebens- und Problemlagen älterer Leistungsbeziehender werden näher analysiert. [...]In Germany, people fit work who are unemployed or have little income can receive basic income support for jobseekers in accordance with SGB II in order to secure their livelihood. In principle, this also applies to older benefit recipients up to the standard retirement age. However, until 2022, those entitled to benefits from the age of 63 were obliged to switch from basic income support to a pension if they had the necessary insurance years for early retirement. With the Citizens' Benefit, which came into force on January 1, 2023, this regulation set out in §12a SGB II was suspended until December 31, 2026. One of the aims of the reform is to keep older people entitled to benefits in the labor market. To be able to assess the employment potential of older benefit recipients targeted by the temporary suspension of §12a SGB II, it is necessary to characterize them. This research report therefore looks at older benefit recipients aged 55 and older in SGB II using various data sources. Information is provided on the number of people in and out of benefit receipt and their attachment to the labor market as well as the specific circumstances and problems of older benefit recipients are presented. [...
M&As and innovation: A new approach to classifying technology
No full textA large literature considers the interplay between mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by multinationals and innovation, typically measured as patents. One theme that emerges is that technological similarity plays a role in which M&As occur. The challenge then becomes how to measure technological similarity. Typically, this is done by using either firms' sectors or the technological classifications of their patents. The first is a coarse measure of business activity and overlooks supply chains. The second may incorrectly match technical features with no overlapping business relation. In contrast, we offer an alternative based on a machine learning approach using patent technology descriptors. This decants over 600 technological codes into 21 technical business areas (TBAs). Similarity in this more parsimonious measure is highly related to the probability of a given M&A occurring. This provides a more intuitive approach to understanding the literature's findings
Is There a Devaluation of Degrees? Unobserved Heterogeneity in Returns to Education and Early Experience
No full textWe study how the returns to higher education evolved in France during a period of educational expansion. We study possible changes in the mix of unobservable characteristics of the graduate population. Using a finite mixture model with latent types, we estimate type-specific log-wage, experience accumulation, and education-choice equations. We find that expected real wages declined for higher-education degrees, and that this result is not driven by adverse selection. Returns to education and experience decreased for certain unobserved types but increased for others. The composition of types among Master's graduates suggests improved student selection over time, despite rising graduate numbers
The impact of China's green credit policy on the innovation of manufacturing enterprises
No full textThis study empirically investigated the effects of green credit policies on corporate innovation in China, utilizing panel data for A-share listed manufacturing companies from 2008 to 2022. The analysis employed double-difference models, with the 2012 introduction of the Green Credit Guidelines treated as an exogenous shock. Green credit schemes were found to restrict innovation among more heavily-polluting enterprises. In terms of mechanisms, financial constraint effects outweighed the Porter effect, with heightened financial limitations imposed by green credit schemes driving the observed decrease in corporate innovation. Additionally, the degree of local financial development was found to strongly mediate how green credit policies impacted innovation-related investments, while government subsidies and internal investment levels exacerbated the negative effects of green credit schemes on innovation. Green credit-related declines in innovation within heavily polluting industries were exaggerated for privately owned versus state-owned enterprises. Similarly, technology-intensive enterprises, those operating in highly competitive markets, and those less-dependent on human labor also experienced greater reductions in innovation. Finally, green credit-related declines in innovation were most severe for enterprises located in the Central Region of China
Are there biophysical limits to technical change? A review of societal exergy analysis and ecological macroeconomics
No full textThis paper examines two literatures that try to understand the biophysical constraints placed on the economy and economic growth. Firstly, exergy economics uses the second law of thermodynamics to examine the aggregate exergy conversion process to the useful stage. This shows the dependency of the economy on physical laws and highlights the limits to continued productivity growth. I argue that exergy economics provides a vital contribution to economics, but previous attempts to integrate it into an economic framework are undermined by a reliance on the neoclassical production function. Secondly, ecological macroeconomics examines biophysical constraints to the economy using heterodox economic theory and models. My review of this literature shows that productivity growth is often modelled as unconnected to energy and materials and able to increase exponentially into the future despite biophysical constraints. The paper argues that biophysical limits to productivity growth need to be considered alongside the more commonly modelled damage functions and limits to resource availability and quality in ecological macroeconomics
Mehr Mut zum Wettbewerb
No full textDieses Positionspapier entstand im Rahmen der Tagung "Wettbewerb als geniales Entmachtungsinstrument - In Gedenken an Prof. Dr. Heike Schweitzer, LL.M. (Yale)", der Stiftung Marktwirtschaft, die am 11. Juni 2025 in Berlin stattfand. Es formuliert zentrale Handlungsempfehlungen, die sich an den wissenschaftlichen Überzeugungen und ordnungspolitischen Leitlinien von Heike Schweitzer orientieren und auf eine zukunftsfähige Wettbewerbsordnung abzielen. Heike Schweitzer war seit 2014 Mitglied im Kronberger Kreis, dem wissenschaftlichen Beirat der Stiftung Marktwirtschaft. "Mehr Mut zum Markt" lautet die Devise des Kronberger Kreises. Der 1982 gegründete wissenschaftliche Beirat der Stiftung Marktwirtschaft erarbeitet ordnungspolitische Reformkonzepte, mit dem Ziel, die freiheitliche Ordnung in Deutschland und Europa weiterzuentwickeln. Den Staat sieht er als Regelsetzer und Schiedsrichter, nicht als Mitspieler und "Übervater". Mit seinen Konzepten prägt der Kronberger Kreis seitdem die wirtschaftspolitische Diskussion mit
Gains from Targeting? Government Subsidies and Firm Performance in China
No full textThis paper studies the firm-level impact of the world's largest targeted capital import subsidy program implemented in China. Drawing on rich manufacturing firm survey data, product-level trade transactions, and a comprehensive list of capital goods eligible for subsidies, we exploit variation in firms' exposure to the subsidy program to assess its impact on credit access, investment, sales, and trade. We find that a one-standard-deviation increase in a firm's exposure to the subsidy leads to a 0.03% increase in total borrowing and a 0.05% reduction in financing costs. These financial benefits translate into substantial real effects, including a 0.15% rise in investment and a 1.39% improvement in the marginal revenue product of capital. The program's benefits persist over time and are especially pronounced for financially constrained firms and non-state enterprises, indicating that targeted import subsidies can effectively alleviate market frictions and foster industrial development
Regionale Arbeitsmarktprognosen 2025/2026: Positive und negative Entwicklungen halten sich die Waage
No full textDer Arbeitsmarkt in Deutschland ist weiterhin durch Stagnation gekennzeichnet. Bundesweit bleiben Beschäftigung und Arbeitslosigkeit 2026 im Vergleich zu 2025 nahezu unverändert. Auf Ebene der Bundesländer und der Agenturbezirke zeigen sich teilweise positive Entwicklungen, die jedoch bisher nicht ausreichen, um flächendeckend eine Trendwende am Arbeitsmarkt herbeizuführen