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Press Release
The German economy is experiencing a strong upturn driven by unexpected expansive impulses, especially the falling oil price and the sharp depreciation of the euro. Gross domestic product is expected to increase by 2.1 percent this year. The 68 percent projection interval ranges from 1.1 percent to 2.8 percent. Consumption is the driving force behind the upturn. The rest of the euro area is also expected ...
16.04.2015
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Press Release
Study conducted by DIW subsidiary DIW Econ examines whether copyright encourages innovation - technological development primarily responsible for the increasing number of new releases
Sales are going down, the number of new releases is going up: Although music industry revenues have plummeted by more than half since 2000, fresh content is still being released. Even in the film industry, the growth ...
15.04.2015
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Press Release
Few assets in comparison to the rest of the population—those living alone are particularly affectedSo-called “care households”—that is, households in which a person over the age of 60 and in need of long-term care resides—have similar household incomes to “non-care households,” in which no care-dependent person lives. But care-dependent individuals are more ...
01.04.2015
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Press Release
DIW Berlin examined the preconditions and probable effects of the quantitative easing in the euro area, and compared it to similar programs in other countries. The bottom line: Although there is heavy pressure on the ECB to take action, monetary policy should not remain isolated.According to the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), the European Central Bank’s (ECB) asset purchase ...
25.03.2015
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Press Release
Although it has decreased slightly, the pay gap between women and men remains at a high level: In 2013, the gross salary of women employed full-time in leadership positions in the private sector was roughly 22 percent, or one-fifth, of the gross salary of men in such positions. In 2012, the so-called Gender Pay Gap stood at 24 percent; in 2002, it stood at 26 percent. These calculations are based on ...
20.03.2015
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Press Release
DIW economic experts are forecasting a growth of 2.2 percent in 2015, which should stand at 1.9 percent in 2016 - capacity utilization at nearly normal levels - foreign markets less important than before the crisis - primary growth driver is private consumption based on a good labor market - surpluses in public budgets remain high - international risks remain significant
The German economy, which ...
19.03.2015
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Press Release
The power-generation capacities of wind and photovoltaic plants vary according to the weather, time of day, and season. The expansion of renewable energy sources means there is a growing need to offset these fluctuations and bring power supply into line with demand at all times. Power storage can contribute to this and thus safeguard the energy transition in the longer term. An analysis conducted by ...
04.03.2015
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Press Release
The German tax and transfer system ensures that the net incomes of its citizens are distributed much more evenly than market income. Much of this redistribution takes place through the social security system. However, the majority of government benefits do not go to financially needy households. Tax expert Stefan Bach summarizes the key findings of a recent study conducted by the German Institute for ...
18.02.2015
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Press Release
DIW study takes broader approach to expenditure on education: in addition to spending on child daycare services and schools, expenditure on non-formal educational provisions such as leisure activities is also captured – researchers recommend linking contributions to income
Families who spend money on their children’s education face a heavier financial burden, the lower their income: while ...
18.02.2015
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Press Release
A study by DIW Berlin presents a reform proposal – tax breaks could be restricted, tax burdens could be paid over longer periods – inheritance tax revenue would increase considerably
After the German Federal Constitutional Court determined in December 2014 that far-reaching exemptions to inheritance tax on corporate assets are partly unconstitutional, a new study by DIW Berlin suggests ...
11.02.2015
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Press Release
Future plans to expand the German electricity transmission grid will be based on scenarios which specifically include the federal government’s climate targets for the electricity sector. These are the findings of Christian von Hirschhausen and Claudia Kemfert, energy experts at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), one of the leading economic research institutions in Germany, ...
04.02.2015
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Press Release
The labor force participation rate for women has increased by ten percentage points since 1995, while the corresponding figure for men has only risen by one percentage point. Reasons for this include women’s improved qualifications, which are catching up with those of men, and their greater willingness to participate in working life and take advantage of changes in the economic structure.
Women ...
30.01.2015
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Press Release
Persistently low shares of women on executive and supervisory boards – very few companies presently meet pending compulsory gender quotas – DIW Berlin presents proposals to remedy this
In 2014, women remained the exception at the top of the corporate ladder: at barely five percent, the share of female executive board members in the top 200 companies (ranked by turnover) was up just one ...
21.01.2015
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Press Release
DIW Berlin studied the effect of personality traits on intention to study – those more open to new experiences are more likely to attend college – the effect of personality is particularly high among children from non-academic families
In addition to factors such as school performance and parents’ educational background, personality is crucial as to whether students subsequently ...
09.01.2015
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Press Release
The German economy has veered back on an upward course, after weak growth in the summer semester 2014. In this projection, real GDP is estimated to grow by 1.5 percent in 2014, by 1.4 percent in 2015 and by 1.7 percent in 2016. Inflation is projected to remain low, with 0.9 percent in 2014, 0.7 percent in 2015 and 1.4 percent in 2016. The growth rate of the global economy rose slightly in the third ...
17.12.2014
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Press Release
The situation of public budgets is relaxed and will remain so in the years 2015 and 2016 - despite a slight weakening in the coming year. In 2014, the overall budget is estimated to show a surplus of 0.5 percent relative to nominal gross domestic product; next year the surplus will shrink to 0.1 percent - mainly due to the increased pension payments - and in 2016it will reach 0.4 percent. The debt ...
17.12.2014
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Press Release
The financial relationship between central government and the federal states is about to undergo major reforms. In addition to reorganizing financial equalization, policy-makers are now discussing providing financial aid for structurally weak regions once the Solidarity Pact expires, bolstering the general financial strength of states and establishing an effective debt ceiling. Against this backdrop, ...
10.12.2014
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Press Release
Income inequality is usually considered in terms of its current development. A long-term perspective allows us to compare the income situation of today’s generation with that of their parents. For the first time ever, we have measured the inequality of wages and salaries earned over an entire working lifetime using a new kind of dataset. The findings show that the inequality of lifetime social ...
03.12.2014
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Press Release
The construction industry remains a key pillar of the German economy. According to the latest construction volume calculations by DIW Berlin, the value of construction in the current and coming year is forecast to grow far more rapidly than the economy as a whole: by a price-adjusted 3.3 percent in 2014 and 2.1 percent in 2015. Currently, new residential construction is an important engine for growth ...
26.11.2014
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Press Release
Germany's energy transition envisages a shift toward energy being supplied primarily from renewable sources. The expansion of renewables is largely determined by central government policy but the German Länder also play a major role and could consequently make a significant contribution toward a successful energy transition. DIW Berlin recently conducted its fourth renewable energy ranking of ...
26.11.2014