DIW Weekly Report

Complete Issue

High-Priced and Dangerous: Nuclear Power Is Not an Option for the Climate-Friendly Energy Mix

The debate on effective climate protection is heating up in Germany and the rest of the world. Nuclear energy is being touted as “clean” energy. Given the circumstances, the present study analyzed the historical, current, and future costs and risks of nuclear energy. The findings show that nuclear energy can by no means be called “clean” due to radioactive emissions, which will endanger humans and ...

Complete Issue

Minimum Wage: Many Entitled Employees in Germany Still Do Not Receive It

There has been a universal statutory minimum wage in Germany for a good four years, but many employees still do not receive it. This is the finding of new calculations based on the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), which have updated noncompliance with the minimum wage for 2017. Even conservative calculations indicate that around 1.3 million people who are entitled to the minimum wage receive a lower wage ...

Complete Issue

Fear of Stigmatization Prevents Individuals from Claiming Benefits

The desire to avoid the shame of being dependent on government aid is often cited as a cause of low welfare take-up rates. In contrast to other obstacles, such as transaction costs or a lack of information, little empirical research has been conducted on how stigma affects social benefits take-up. In this Weekly Report, a controlled laboratory experiment is presented whose results support the following ...

Complete Issue

Gender Pension Gaps in Europe Are More Explicitly Associated with Labor Markets than with Pension Systems

In many European countries, there is a substantial gender pension gap. Yet, these gaps vary strongly across countries. This cross-national study examines to what extent institutional and labor market-specific factors correlate with gender pension gaps. The findings show that the gender pension gap tends to be larger in countries with larger gender-specific differences in the employment or part-time ...

Complete Issue

German Economy Defying a Turbulent and Uncertain Environment: DIW Economic Outlook

After a turbulent summer, marked by a weak second and a likely stronger third quarter, the German economy should return to an average pace of growth and end up with a growth rate of 0.9 percent in 2019. Despite the more subdued pace, capacity utilization remains high; employment growth is continuing, albeit more slowly; and the trend of foreign demand is weakening but remains buoyant overall. In this ...

Global Economy and the Euro Area: Protectionism Weighing on Trade and Investment: DIW Economic Outlook

The global economy is holding steady amidst uncertainty, although subdued export and investment growth in some places is already proving the extent to which protectionism and the unresolved trade conflicts are negatively affecting the economy. Contributing to the uncertainty is the continued unclear outcome of Brexit. In many countries, the domestic economy is fighting against a downturn. However, ...

German Economy Performing Well Despite Odds; Time to Rethink Debt Rules: Editorial

Complete Issue

20 Years of Common European Monetary Policy: Reasons to Celebrate

Twenty years after the introduction of the euro, this Weekly Report uses an empirical analysis to assess the performance of monetary policy in the EMU founding states. It is often claimed that the monetary policy of the European Central Bank (ECB) cannot outperform its national predecessors, as the euro area countries experience different business cycles yet share a common interest rate. However, the ...

Complete Issue

Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Can Help Contain Resistance to Antibiotics

Improving physicians’ prescription practices is a primary strategy for countering the rise in resistance to antibiotics. This would prevent physicians from incorrectly prescribing antibiotics, one of the main causes of antibiotic resistance. The increasing availability of medical data and methods of machine learning provide an opportunity to generate instant diagnoses. In the present study, the example ...

Complete Issue

Global Responsibilities: Renewable Energies, Climate Policy, Migratory Pressure: Reports

A Stable and Social Europe: Fiscal Rules, a Stabilization Fund, Insolvency Rules, Gender Quota, Gender Pension Gaps, and Education: Reports

Competitiveness and Convergence: Trade, Merger Control, Industry, and Innovation: Reports