Suchergebnisse

For Germany, we analyse the (relative) effects of participation in several active labour market programmes on the employment prospects of participants. First, our results show that different matching algorithms result in different severe problems of common support. Second, we obtain favourable effects of participation in training programmes, which is not true for job creation schemes. Third, while lock-in effects are smaller for shorter programmes, long retraining shows mainly positive effects compared to shorter training at the end of the observation period. Fourth, participants in job creation schemes are too different from participants in training programmes to conduct a reliable comparison.

Die vorliegende Studie untersucht das Investitionsverhalten von kleinen und mittelgroßen Unternehmen anhand der Bilanzkennzahlen deutscher Unternehmen für den Zeitraum von 2005 bis 2014. Hierbei zeigte sich, dass KMU, vor allem seit der Finanzkrise 2009/2010, weniger investieren als Großunternehmen. Das trifft insbesondere auf die Kleinstunternehmen zu. Trotzdem sind KMU - gemessen an den gängigen Performance-Kennzahlen - wirtschaftlich erfolgreich. Das legt nahe, dass sie sehr selektiv und effizient investieren, um ihre Eigenkapitalbasis zu stärken und unabhängiger von (Fremd-)Kapitalgebern zu werden. Die Einflussmöglichkeiten der Wirtschaftspolitik sind zumindest kurzfristig gering. Es empfiehlt sich daher auf eine punktuelle Investitionsförderung zu verzichten und stattdessen eine langfristige, wachstumsorientierte Wirtschaftspolitik zu verfolgen. ; Using balance sheet data from 2005 to 2014, we analyse the investment behaviour of German small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The results show that SMEs - and specifically micro-enterprises - have been investing rather less than large enterprises especially after the financial crisis in 2009/2010. At the same time, SMEs also show a good economic performance according to established balance sheet ratios. We therefore conclude that SMEs tend to invest more selective and efficient in order to strengthen their own equity capital base and to reduce dependencies on external investors. Hence, possibilities of economic policy to foster investments are limited in the short run for what reason long term and growth-oriented economic policies should be preferred.

Am Ausbildungsstellenmarkt wird es trotz des weiterhin bestehenden Bewerberüberhangs zunehmend schwieriger, das betriebliche Angebot und die Nachfrage der Jugendlichen zusammenzuführen. Seit einigen Jahren ist überdies (allein) die Anzahl der Ausbildungsbetriebe mit weniger als 10 Beschäftigten rückläufig. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist es daher, den Ursachen dieser Entwicklung bei den Kleinstbetrieben nachzugehen. Die Befunde zeigen, dass sich Kleinstbetriebe nicht massiv aus der betrieblichen Ausbildung zurückziehen, sondern dass sie im Vergleich zu größeren Betrieben häufiger Schwierigkeiten haben, ihre Ausbildungsplätze zu besetzen. Dabei ist weniger ein Mangel an Bewerbern als deren unzureichende Eignung aus Sicht der Betriebe ausschlaggebend. Weitere Ursachen sind in einer für Jugendliche mangelnden Attraktivität der Kleinstbetriebe und dem steigenden Interesse an höheren Bildungsabschlüssen zu sehen.

Das Finanzierungsumfeld für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen (KMU) befindet sich im Wandel. Die Veränderungen des konjunkturellen Umfelds und der damit verbundenen Niedrigzinspolitik sowie die Basel-Regulierungen zeigen einen deutlichen Einfluss auf die Finanzierungsstrukturen der KMU. So konnten KMU ihre Eigenkapitalquoten deutlich stärker als Großunternehmen erhöhen und haben damit ihren Rückstand vollständig aufgeholt. Diese Entwicklung erstreckt sich über alle Regionen und Branchen. Die Untersuchung verschiedener Finanzierungsquellen zeigt, dass der Bankkredit zwar weiterhin das zentrale Fremdfinanzierungsinstrument für KMU ist, jedoch im Vergleich zur Innenfinanzierung durch einbehaltene Unternehmensgewinne deutlich an Bedeutung verliert. ; The financial environment for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is changing. The general good economic situation, the current policy on low interest rates and new banking regulations affect the capital structure of German SMEs. Hence, there is an ongoing increase of the equity ratio of small and medium sized enterprises which very much outperforms the growth of the equity ratio of large enterprises. As a result, the gap between the equity ratio of SMEs and large enterprises is increasingly blurring. This change can also be observed in all regions and sectors. Investigating different sources of funding, the results show that bank borrowings are still the most important source of debt financing. However, retention of earnings gains in importance for German SMEs in comparison to debt financing.

This article investigates collective bargaining trends in the German private sector since 2000. Using data from the IAB Establishment Panel and the German Establishment History Panel, it provides both cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence on these developments. It confirms that the hemorrhaging of sectoral bargaining, first observed in the 1980s and 1990s, is ongoing. Furthermore, works councils are also in decline, so that the dual system also displays erosion. For their part, any increases in collective bargaining at firm level have been minimal in recent years, while the behavior of newly-founded and closing establishments does not seem to lie at the root of a burgeoning collective bargaining free sector. Although there are few obvious signs of an organic reversal of the process, some revitalization of the bargaining system from above is implied by the labor policies of the new coalition government.

This article investigates collective bargaining trends in the German private sector since 2000. Using data from the IAB Establishment Panel and the German Establishment History Panel, it provides both cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence on these developments. It confirms that the hemorrhaging of sectoral bargaining, first observed in the 1980s and 1990s, is ongoing. Furthermore, works councils are also in decline, so that the dual system also displays erosion. For their part, any increases in collective bargaining at firm level have been minimal in recent years, while the behavior of newly-founded and closing establishments does not seem to lie at the root of a burgeoning collective bargaining free sector. Although there are few obvious signs of an organic reversal of the process, some revitalization of the bargaining system from above is implied by the labor policies of the new coalition government.

ABSTRACTThis paper presents the first comparative analysis of the decline in collective bargaining in two European countries where that decline has been among the most pronounced. Using establishment‐level data and a common model, we present decompositions of changes in collective bargaining in the private sector in Germany and Britain over the period 1998–2004. In both countries, within‐effects dominate compositional changes as the source of the recent decline in unionism. Overall, the decline in collective bargaining is more pronounced in Britain than in Germany, thus continuing a trend apparent since the 1980s. Although establishment characteristics differ markedly across the two countries, assuming counterfactual values of these characteristics makes little difference to unionization levels. Expressed differently, the German dummy looms large.

This paper depicts and examines the decline in collective bargaining coverage in Germany. Using repeat cross-section and longitudinal data from the IAB Establishment Panel, we show the overwhelming importance of behavioral as opposed to compositional change and, for the first time, document workplace transitions into and out of collective agreements via survival analysis. We provide estimates of the median duration of coverage, and report that the factors generating entry and exit are distinct and symmetric.

This paper presents the first comparative analysis of the decline in collective bargaining in two European countries where that decline has been most pronounced. Using workplace-level data and a common model, we present decompositions of changes in collective bargaining and worker representation in the private sector in Germany and Britain over the period 1998-2004. In both countries within-effects dominate compositional changes as the source of the recent decline in unionism. Overall, the decline in collective bargaining is more pronounced in Britain than in Germany, thus continuing a trend apparent since the 1980s. Although workplace characteristics differ markedly across the two countries, assuming counterfactual values of these characteristics makes little difference to unionization levels. Expressed differently, the German dummy looms large.