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Press Release
New analyses of personal income distribution in Germany, based on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), show that real market income in private households rose significantly from 2005 to 2010. An increase in real disposable income was also observed. At the same time, the disparity in income distribution decreased in both western and eastern Germany. However, the latter showed a further ...
25.10.2012
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Report
Abstract:Following a Federal Constitutional Court sentence, wealth tax has not been levied in Germany since 1997. A possible revival has since regularly been the subject of political debate. Several German federal states are currently preparing to submit a bill to the Bundesrat. A basic scenario envisages individuals (natural persons), corporations, and other legal entities being taxed at a uniform ...
17.10.2012
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Press Release
Recent developments in Ireland, Greece, and Spain have shown that sovereign debt crises endanger the solvency of domestic banking sectors, while banking crises in turn endanger the solvency of the domestic sovereign. This vicious circle between government and bank solvency is exacerbated by the home bias in banks’ government bond portfolios, that is, the banks' excessive exposure to domestic ...
17.10.2012
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Press Release
2013 will see a significant increase in the surcharge stipulated by the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) and paid by power consumers to promote the use of renewable energies. This will equate to a rise in the share of private households’ consumer spending on electricity from around 2.3 percent on average in 2011 or almost 2.4 percent in 2012 to almost 2.5 percent in 2013. The EEG surcharge ...
10.10.2012
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Report
In winter semester 2012/2013, the GC cooperates further with the Berlin Doctoral Program in Economics and Management Science (BDPEMS) for various advanced courses at DIW Berlin. The lecturers for Microeconomic Analysis I include Prof. Ulrich Kameke (HU Berlin), Prof. Dorothea Kübler (WZB, TU Berlin) and Prof. Georg Weizsäcker (DIW Berlin, HU Berlin). The Advanced Macroeconomic Analysis Course ...
08.10.2012
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Report
The Graduate Center offers two 2-day workshops on giving scientific talks on October 16/17 and on October 18/19.The course covers topics like targeting the audience, choosing content, commanding body language and voice, refining rhetorical skills, managing stress, as well as conveying messages authentically and convincingly. One part of the training will include videotaping presentations and analyzing ...
08.10.2012
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Economic Bulletin
Germany Profits from Growth in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa : But for How Much Longer?By: Georg Erber and Mechthild Schrooten in: DIW Economic Bulletin 10/2012.Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa-the BRICS-show high overall economic growth rates by international standards. Even during the recent economic crisis, most BRICS countries still recorded above-average growth. ...
08.10.2012
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Economic Bulletin
"Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises are Catching up" Seven Questions to Alexander Eickelpasch
08.10.2012
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Economic Bulletin
Research-Based Companies Perform BetterBy: Alexander Eickelpasch in: DIW Economic Bulletin 10/2012.The past ten years have seen an expansion in industrial research. There has been a significant increase in the number of research-based companies, as well as in employment in research and development, and in expenditure in this area. Growth has been observed predominantly in companies in less research-intensive ...
08.10.2012
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Report
On October 4/5, the DIW Graduate Center welcomed its new cohort GC2012 through various events. Ten promising young students introduced themselves at the welcome reception in the evening of October 4, following the opening speeches of Prof. Gert G. Wagner, president of DIW Berlin, and Prof. Helmut Lütkepohl, Dean of the GC. On October 5, a detailed introduction to the doctoral program structure ...
05.10.2012
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Press Release
The German economy will lose some of its momentum in the second half of the year, but pick up some speed again next year. In year-on-year terms, German GDP is expected to increase by a mere 0.9 percent in 2012 and 1.6 percent in 2013. Growth is primarily driven by domestic demand. The weakening of the economy in the second half of this year will have limited impact on labor markets, the unemployment ...
04.10.2012
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Report
The SOEPnewsletter 98/Oct. 2012 is ready for downloadWe inform about... CNEF moves from Cornell to Ohio State University (OSU) New SOEP 1984–2011 data (v28) What’s new in the SOEP1984–2011 data release (v28) LIFESPELL: mortality research using SOEP SOEP Innovation Sample (SOEP–IS) Results: 2012 SOEP User Survey Report: SOEP2012 Conference ...
28.09.2012
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Report
Abstract:The recently released 3P Anti-trafficking Policy Index shows that policy performance against human trafficking demonstrates mixed results worldwide during the period of 2000–2011. Most countries have adopted anti-trafficking law in their legal systems and committed to criminal justice (prosecution policy). Preventive efforts against the crime (prevention policy) are also high. However, ...
26.09.2012
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Personnel news
In September, Jürgen Schupp was appointed a member of the External Board of Overseers of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) in the US. He is now part of the scientific advisory board of the longest running household panel study in the world. The work of the board includes providing advice to the PSID team so as to ensure that in the future, too, the long-term study handles topics relevant ...
21.09.2012
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Report
DIW Berlin welcomes the Editorial Board of the Review of Economic Studies on September 20 and 21. The Review of Economic Studies is one of the five highest ranked academic journals in Economics. The executive board of the jounal's editorial board holds its annual meeting this year in the Schumpeter Hall of DIW Berlin.
20.09.2012
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Report
Abstract:In Germany, those from affluent households have a significantly higher further life expectancy at the age of 65 than those with low incomes (males: 5 years, females: 3.5 years). The present analysis, which is based on the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), indicates that the lower life expectancy of women in low-income households is associated with psychological pressure caused by a ...
19.09.2012
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Report
Abstract: The construction or expansion of an airport leads to a significant increase in aircraft noise in the surrounding area, which, in turn, results in a marked reduction in the prices of houses or apartments located under the planned flight paths. Even expectations about future noise pollution can significantly reduce real estate prices in the affected areas. The present study estimates the effects ...
12.09.2012
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Economic Bulletin
Unemployment in Europe: Young People Affected Much Harder Than AdultsBy: Karl Brenke in: DIW Economic Bulletin 9/2012.The crises of the past few years have led to a significant increase in youth unemployment in Europe. This, in turn, has highlighted the long standing phenomenon of well above average youth unemployment. In some countries, the youth unemployment rate reached unprecedented levels, although ...
07.09.2012
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Economic Bulletin
"Spreading the Risk" Nine Questions to Claudia Kemfert and Dorothea Schäfer
07.09.2012
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Economic Bulletin
Financing the Energy Transition in Times of Financial Market InstabilityBy: Claudia Kemfert and Dorothea Schäfer in: DIW Economic Bulletin 9/2012.One of the most pressing public priorities in Germany at present is how to organize the energy transition. However, the cost of stabilizing the financial sector as well as the fiscal pact and the debt brake mean that the government has limited financial ...
07.09.2012