Macroeconomic Evaluation of Labor Market Reform in Germany


Book Description

In 2005 the German government implemented the so-called Hartz IV reform, which amounted to a complete overhaul of the German unemployment insurance system and resulted in a significant reduction in unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed. In this paper, we use an incomplete-market model with search unemployment to evaluate the macro-economic and welfare effects of the Hartz IV reform. We calibrate the model economy to German data before the reform and then use the calibrated model economy to simulate the effects of Hartz IV. In our baseline calibration, we find that the reform has reduced the long-run (noncyclical) unemployment rate in Germany by 1.4 percentage points. We also find that the welfare of employed households increases, but the welfare of unemployed households decreases even with moderate degree of risk aversion.




The German Labor Market Reforms and Post-Unemployment Earnings


Book Description

In 2003–05, Germany undertook extensive labor market reforms which were followed by a large and persistent decline in unemployment. Key elements of the reforms were a drastic cut in benefits for the long-term unemployed and tighter job search and acceptance obligations. Using a large confidential data set from the German social security administration, we find that the reforms were associated with a fall in the earnings of workers returning to work from short-term unemployment relative to workers in long-term employment of about 10 percent. We interpret this as evidence that the reforms strengthened incentives to return to work but, in doing so, they adversely affected post re-entry earnings.




Structural Reform in Germany


Book Description

This paper provides a quantitative evaluation of the macroeconomic, distributional, and fiscal effects of three reform proposals for Germany: i) a reduction in the social security tax in the low-wage sector, ii) a publicly financed expansion of full-day child care and full-day schooling, and iii) the further deregulation of the professional services sector. The analysis is based on a macroeconomic model with physical capital, human capital, job search, and household heterogeneity. All three reforms have positive short-run and long-run effects on employment, wages, and output. The quantitative effects of the deregulation reform are relatively small due to the smal size of professional services in Germany. Policy reforms i) and ii) have substantial macroeconomic effects and positive distributional consequences. Ten years after implementation, reforms i) and ii) taken together increase employment by 1.6 percent, potential output by 1.5 percent, real hourly pre-tax wages in the low-wage sector by 3 percent, and real hourly pre-tax wages of women with children by 2.7 percent. The two reforms create fiscal deficits in the short run, but they also generate substantial fiscal surpluses in the long-run. They are fiscally efficient in the sense that the present value of short-term fiscal deficits and long-term surpluses is positive for any interest (discount) rate less than 9 percent.




Before and After the Hartz Reforms


Book Description

"Having faced high unemployment rates for more than a decade, the German government implemented a comprehensive set of labour market reforms during the period 2003-2005. This paper describes the economic and institutional context of the German labour market before and after these so-called Hartz reforms. Focussing on active policy measures, we delineate the rationale for reform and its main principles. As results of programme evaluation studies post-reform have become available just now, we give a first assessment of the effectiveness of key elements of German ALMP before and after the Hartz reforms. The evidence indicates that the re-organisation of public employment services was mainly successful, with the exception of the outsourcing of services. Re-designing training programmes seems to have improved their effectiveness, while job creation schemes continue to be detrimental for participants' employment prospects. Wage subsidies and start-up subsidies show significantly positive effects. On balance, therefore, the reform seems to be moving the German labour market in the right direction"--Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit web site.







Overqualification in the German labor market


Book Description

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2013 in the subject Economics - Job market economics, grade: 1,3, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg (Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre), language: English, abstract: A strange course description of an adult education center created rumblings in the press last year. The title of the new announced course was: De-qualification for academics; accompanied by the explanation that an academic degree or even a doctorate can be a big hurdle for employment in certain jobs like construction helper. But there would be no reason to despair, since the necessary target group specific vocabulary, adequat clothing, and specifically attitude changes can be learned. Despite of these clichés and a scheduled starting date of 1st April, the most funny but also characteristic thing was that several journalists fell for this April fool. The subjective perception of higher education has obviously changed in parts (Karschnick 2012). In former times, people used to say that you have to study to be successful in your job. Is overqualification for university graduates in Germany really existing and increasingly becoming a problem? However, this question can also be seen in another way. Directly related to this aggregated perspective is the decision making of an individual. If there are many university graduates working in an occupation, which does not require their education, it is obviously not very desirable. Is it worth to study and striving for an university degree?










Labour Market Reforms in Portugal 2011-15 A Preliminary Assessment


Book Description

This report evaluates the comprehensive labour market reforms undertaken in Portugal in 2011-15. It reviews reforms in employment protection legislation, unemployment benefits, activation, collective bargaining, minimum wages and working time, and assesses the available evidence on their impact.