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Press Release
Contrary to former expectations, the economic development has not exhibited any dynamism after the second quarter of this year. According to provisional calculations real GDP has increased by 0.3% compared to the previous quarter, which means an increase by 1.1% compared to the previous year. In the current weekly report 46/2002 the DIW Berlin forecasts stagnant growth for real GDP in the fourth quarter ...
13.11.2002
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Press Release
The DIW Berlin's current weekly report 34/2002 discusses the sobering conclusions that will be drawn by the countries participating in the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg next Monday. Above all it is the industrial states that carry the majority of responsibility for the climatic problems, and they have not yet managed to reduce or even stabilise their greenhouse gas emissions. ...
21.08.2002
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Press Release
In its current weekly report 33/2002, the DIW Berlin reports only a slight upward trend in overall economic performance in the second quarter of 2002, as was the case in the first quarter of this year. The seasonally adjusted real gross domestic product increased by 0.2%, which exceeded the previous year's level by 0.4%. The lack of stronger expansion is mainly attributable to private households, ...
14.08.2002
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Press Release
The DIW Berlin reports a decline in investment activities, the main result of substantial financial problems at the local level, according to the current DIW Wochenbericht. Local finances depend heavily on the Länder, whichhave consolidated their finances over the last few years at the cost of the municipalities. Tax revenues are also performing poorly at the moment. Local budgetary law sets strict ...
31.07.2002
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Press Release
Prior the introduction of euro notes and coins, German acceptance of the euro was low compared to the other countries participating in monetary union. Some enthusiasm was noted shortly after the notes and coins were introduced, but this, however, subsided in the following weeks. Yet, acceptance of the euro is greater than it was last year: then two-thirds of all Germans were concerned about the introduction ...
24.07.2002
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Press Release
Economic requirements should always be taken into consideration when working to meet the targets set by EU stabilisation programmes. Consolidating budget deficits in the Eurozone in a rapid and sustainable way can only be achieved with high economic growth. The DIW Berlin reached this conclusion in its current weekly report 27/2002. Finland and the Netherlands, two countries who have been especially ...
02.07.2002
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Press Release
The production index and real net output, performance indicators for industrial branches, do not provide a realistic enough picture for an international comparison of the performance trends of an industry and its branches to be made. In its current weekly report 26/2002, the DIW Berlin suggests incorporating other information into such evaluations, like employment and investment trends.
26.06.2002
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Press Release
According to calculations by the DIW Berlin, GDP in the Eurozone increased by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2002; a figure which corresponds to a current annual rate of 1.2%. Last year's weak economic cycle seems to have begun to gradually recede. This slight recovery is mainly attributable to a higher net trade in goods and services; while exports in the Eurozone increased by 1%, imports experienced ...
12.06.2002
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Press Release
Private households are very sensitive to changes in the price of services. This has been proven by analysis based on data collected by the DIW Berlin's Socio-Economic Panel. In its current weekly report 23/2002, the DIW Berlin shows that promoting agencies for household tasks could create employment and make an long-term contribution to the legalisation of illicit work. A legislative initiative ...
05.06.2002
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Press Release
Eighty per cent of those registered unemployed are available for work - although some not straight away. One in five unemployed people, however, no longer want to work. This conclusion was reached by the DIW Berlin in its latest weekly report 22/2002, which presented up-to-date data from surveys by the DIW's Socio-Economic Panel. Sixty per cent of those unemployed would prefer to return to work immediately. ...
29.05.2002
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Press Release
Theatre costs in Germany largely depend on a theatres' output - productions and performances - and not on a theatres' legal organisation or the sponsorship it receives. This conclusion was reached by the DIW Berlin in its current weekly report 21/2002. However, it is quite surprising that the higher the number of new productions is the lower the costs are. A high percentage of new productions ...
22.05.2002
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Press Release
Despite initial difficulties, the majority of participants in the Inno-Regio programme (Promotion of Regional Networks for Innovation), which is financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, are pleased. The project promotes 23 innovation networks in the former East Germany. The program aims to improve the previously insufficient level of co-operation between businesses, research institutes ...
22.05.2002
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Press Release
At the beginning of this year, economic growth once again failed to exhibit any dynamism. Real gross domestic product turned out to be stagnant (-0.1%) compared to the previous quarter. This was largely due to a weak domestic demand; but above all to heavily declining investments in new equipment. Although import figures decreased, higher export rates prevented a further decline in economic growth. ...
14.05.2002
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Press Release
Analysing data from the DIW Berlin's Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) shows that Abitur students and the unemployed are more likely than others to take part in military service or its community service equivalent. Abitur students should theoretically be more interested in avoiding military or community service, because their relatively high level of qualifications increases the chance of gaining a ...
07.05.2002
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Press Release
Results of international workshop held by DIW Berlin 11th-13th April 2002
07.05.2002
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Press Release
The world economy is currently at the beginning of an upswing. Output in the U.S. has started to recover even earlier than had been expected by the Institutes. In Western Europe, while the rise in production was still modest in the first months of the year, consumer confidence as well as business climate improved markedly. Also in the Asian NICs the cyclical bottom has been passed; Japan, by contrast, ...
23.04.2002
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Press Release
A further possible ten countries could be EU members by 2004. The EU accession countries will automatically become members of the Eurozone a few years after this, if they comply with the criteria stipulated in the Maastricht Treaty. In its current weekly report 15/2001, the DIW Berlin points out that if the European Central Bank (ECB) were to keep its present decision-making structure, it would in ...
10.04.2002
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Press Release
Signs of a nascent economic recovery in the USA and in Europe, the increasing willingness of the OPEC-countries to stick to the quota, and speculations on a possible US military intervention in Iraq, which would consequently result in a restricted oil supply, have led to an unexpected drastic rise in prices for crude oil in the first quarter of 2002. Prices for crude oil had already topped 27 US-dollar ...
10.04.2002
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Press Release
Japan's overwhelming success story came to an abrupt end when the bubble burst in the 1980s. The Japanese economy has since found itself in a permanent crisis. Its economic situation has been characterised by deflation. Despite all political attempts, domestic demand has not recovered. In its latest volume of the Quarterly Journal of Economic Research Japan: How to overcome the Difficult Decade?, ...
03.04.2002
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Press Release
From an economic point of view, Great Britain's accession to the European Monetary Union is neither a great risk for the country itself nor for the current members of EMU. This conclusion was reached by the DIW Berlin in its current weekly report 13/2002 - 14/2002. However, the most difficult problem would be to fix an adequate exchange rate for the pound, which was neither a burden to Great Britain ...
27.03.2002