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The book presents a new survey method for assessing equivalence scales. While previous surveys have frequently been accused of providing data which are substantially biased by respondents' personal characteristics and other subjective biases the new method keeps bias to an absolute minimum. Another key feature is that the derived data adds information as to the impact of two key variables on equivalence scales: income and the number of employed household members. In contrast to the standard 'independence of base assumption', the equivalence scales presented are inversely related to the income level of the reference household (a single adult), and increase in the number of employed household members

Die flächendeckende Einführung des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns ist eine bedeutende Intervention in den Arbeitsmarkt und die marktwirtschaftliche Ordnung in Deutschland. Motiviert ist die gesetzliche Änderung vor allem sozialpolitisch: Die Einkommenssituation von Niedrigeinkommensbeziehern soll verbessert werden. Seine möglichen Kosten sind insbesondere Beschäftigungsverluste und eine Abnahme der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit. Eine evidenzbasierte sowie rationale Evaluation von Mindestlöhnen sollte den Anspruch haben, die gesellschaftlichen Nutzen und Kosten systematisch zu bilanzieren.

The Income Reference Period (IRP), the measurement period of income, differs across micro-economic databases of household or individual incomes; typically it is a year, a quarter (of a year) or a month. The length of the IRP affects the shape of the income distribution and derived distributional indices, such as the Gini index. Using employment histories of German residents, this study explores the sensitivity of distributional measures to the IRP. Estimates from annual, quarterly, and monthly distributions are provided for the period from 1991-2006. Our results show that a uniform measurement period of income is a requirement for the validity of distributional analyses.

Income-expenditure surveys typically provide incomes on the household level. As households can differ in size and needs, a reliable assessment of inequality in living standards, therefore, necessitates the conversion of the original heterogeneous into an artificial quasi-homogeneous population. Ebert and Moyes (2003) and Shorrocks (2004) theoretically explore the properties of two alternative conversion strategies: a weighting of household equivalent incomes by size and by needs. We use data from the Luxembourg Income Study for examining the sensitivity of the Gini and the Theil index to the chosen conversion strategy, and explain our results by means of an inequality decomposition by population subgroups. -- income distribution ; inequality ; inequality decomposition ; equivalence scale

30 Jahre nach der Deutschen Wiedervereinigung – und unter dem Eindruck der akuten Corona-Krise – fand der siebte New Paradigm Workshop des Forum New Economy zur Zukunft des deutschen Modells vom 28. bis 30. September in Berlin statt. Renommierte deutsche und internationale Experten diskutierten die "Zukunft des deutschen Wirtschaftsmodells". Wie gut ist Deutschland noch auf die kommenden Herausforderungen vorbereitet? In diesem Zeitgespräch sollen die auf dem Workshop präsentierten Studien vorgestellt werden, die mit Unterstützung des Forum New Economy erstellten wurden, unter anderem zur Entwicklung der Ungleichheit in Deutschland, einer neuen Industriepolitik, der Relevanz fiskalpolitischer Regeln und den Tücken des deutschen Exportmodells. Ergänzt werden diese Beiträge durch eine Übersetzung des Konferenzbeitrags von Thomas Piketty. ; Thirty years after German reunification – and under distress due to the acute coronavirus crisis – the seventh New Paradigm Workshop of the Forum New Economy took place in Berlin on 28-30 September. Renowned German and international experts discussed the "Future of the German Economic Model". How well is Germany prepared for the coming challenges? This forum features a selection of articles funded by the Forum New Economy and presented at its workshop, including studies on the development of inequality in Germany, new industrial policy, the relevance of fiscal rules and the pitfalls of the German export model. The forum also includes a translation of the keynote by Thomas Piketty.

Despite skepticism among experts about the effects of a minimum wage, there is remarkably widespread public support for such policies. Using representative survey data from 2015 and 2016, we investigate the subjective attitudes driving public support for Germany's minimum-wage reform. We find that socioeconomic characteristics and political orientations explain a minor part of the variation in attitudes, whereas beliefs that the reform will improve earnings of workers with low wages and help people to maintain or improve their overall economic situation (measured by living standards, income, hours worked, and job security) play a major role, along with experience with circumvention measures.

Despite some skepticism among experts about the effects of a minimum wage, there is remarkably widespread public support for such policies. Using representative survey data from 2015 and 2016, we investigate the subjective attitudes driving public support for Germany's recent minimum wage reform. We find that socio-economic characteristics and political orientations explain a minor part of the variation in attitudes, whereas beliefs that the reform will bring positive redistributional effects and perceptions that it will help people to maintain or improve their overall economic situation (measured by living standards, income, hours worked, and job security) play a major role.

In view of rising concerns over increasing inequality in the European Union since the financial crisis, this study provides an inequality decomposition of the overall European income distribution by country. The EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions are our empirical basis. Inequality has risen moderately within the core Euro area, particularly in the last two years of the observation period (2010/11). Widening disparities between EU Member States are the driving force behind this trend, while inequalities within countries do not exhibit systematic changes. An analysis of binational distributions reveals that it is the countries hit worst by the crisis—Greece and Spain —for which the between-country disparities have changed most markedly.