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Press Release
Persistent lack of investment among municipalities – social expenditures diminishing financial leeway – structurally weak regions threatening to fall further behind – DIW experts recommend temporarily making use of solidarity contributions to relieve municipalities of social expenditures
Investment in public infrastructure is critical for ensuring competitiveness and creating growth ...
22.10.2015
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Press Release
Unlike the investment of core municipal budgets, public companies’ investment in energy and water supply is not decreasing – DIW experts find no connection among regional financial power, shifting demographics, and investment Countless municipalities in Germany are investing too little, which is primarily having a negative impact on infrastructure. However, for the municipal energy and ...
22.10.2015
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Press Release
The German economy is experiencing a moderate upturn. Gross domestic product will increase by 1.8 percent in 2015 and in 2016 respectively. Growth will be driven by private consumption. In view of the world economy’s modest growth, exports are only expected to rise slightly, especially as the stimulating effect of the euro’s depreciation gradually starts to fade. There will be a more rapid ...
08.10.2015
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Press Release
Very few research-intensive sectors and larger enterprises—research concentrated in public-sector and publicly funded research institutes and universitiesOver the past two decades, research and development (R&D) activities in eastern Germany have increased substantially, albeit to a lesser extent than in western Germany. Furthermore, R&D in eastern Germany was primarily conducted by public-sector ...
07.10.2015
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Press Release
Binding quota could combat gender stereotypes – quality of talent pool expected to improve overall – no discrimination against men anticipated
On January 1, 2016, a fixed 30-percent gender quota for supervisory boards will come into force in Germany. This is binding for all listed companies that also have employee representation on their supervisory boards (full codetermination). In the ...
01.10.2015
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Press Release
DIW study examines distribution of refugees among the member states according to population and economic power – integration of refugees into the labor market a major challengeThe European Union is currently experiencing its largest influx of asylum seekers, yet the distribution of these refugees across the member states is highly uneven. While the majority of countries take in fewer asylum seekers ...
25.09.2015
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Press Release
The euro area continues to recover – emerging countries’ economies are faltering – public budget with surplus despite challenges posed by increasing number of refugees
The German economy remains on track, even as things are getting rockier: The researchers at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) forecast a 1.8 percent increase in GDP for this year and a ...
18.09.2015
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Press Release
Discrepancies primarily in party affiliation and voter turnout –attitudes toward the welfare state are converging – support for the Left Party remains marginal in the West
Twenty-five years after reunification, East and West Germans continue to show clear differences in their political preferences. This is the result of an analysis carried out by the German Institute for Economic Research ...
09.09.2015
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Press Release
Alternative drive systems like electric and hybrid models, and alternative fuels like LPG and natural gas, continue to play a minor role – policy should focus on efficiency improvements to reduce CO2 emissions from conventional fuels and increase the environmental friendliness of road transport – preferential tax treatment for diesel should be abolished
Gasoline and diesel will continue ...
02.09.2015
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Press Release
Germany's R&D intensity above average in international comparison – automotive industry, in particular the motor vehicle industry, accounts for 85 percent of research expenditure – public research growing in importance
A country’s investment in research and development (R&D) is a key driver of its economic growth. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by the German ...
26.08.2015
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Press Release
DIW researchers investigated the development of assets while taking inflation into account – Germans’ investment behavior is one of the essential factors contributing to the decline in real assets – results contradict the national accounts
The net assets of private households in Germany experienced extremely weak development between 2003 and 2013: They increased by an average of ...
19.08.2015
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Press Release
Only one in eight people complain about their job – temporary workers and job-seekers in part-time employment are least satisfied – satisfaction strongly depends on personal characteristics and feelings.
The mood of the German labor market continues to be positive, so it is not at all surprising that the attitude of the German workforce is, too. A new study by DIW Berlin reveals that the ...
06.08.2015
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Press Release
Parents exert indirect influence on the way in which their children will deal with money and financial products in the future – schools can promote competent financial behaviors
"Waste not, want not“: Children whose parents teach them this concept—and offer similarly wise directives when it comes to money and finances—will often make better financial decisions as adults. This ...
29.07.2015
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Press Release
Manufacturing companies increased their expenditures by more than a fifth between 2010 and 2013 – research-intensive and large companies primarily responsible for the increase – development more dynamic in Germany than in other European countries
In 2013, industrial companies in Germany spent a total of 57.2 billion EUR on research and development (R&D). This corresponds to an increase ...
29.07.2015
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Press Release
Researchers in the Climate Strategies network found that the European Commission’s proposal for carbon leakage protection post-2020 will fail to realize a large share of innovation opportunities in materials industries like steel and cement. “This is a major missed opportunity since steel and cement alone account for 38% of industrial CO2 emissions in Europe”, said Karsten Neuhof ...
16.07.2015
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Press Release
German monetary union on July 1, 1990 was politically necessary despite painful economic consequences – Greece, similar to the GDR back in the 1980s, in urgent need of reform – the crisis of European monetary union potentially boosts integration
Precisely 25 years ago, on July 1, 1990, German monetary union came into force. On the same day, capital controls in Europe were abolished, creating ...
02.07.2015
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Press Release
GDP is set to grow by 1.8 percent this year and 1.9 percent next year – the global economy is slowly picking up steam, and the euro area is showing solid growth performance – possible risks such as Greece leaving the euro area are creating a strain on the economy
The German economy is continuing on an upward trend but, due to unexpectedly weak growth at the beginning of the year, will ...
25.06.2015
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Press Release
DIW Berlin’s researchers warn: employment does not necessarily prevent poverty—11.5 million people in Germany are at risk of poverty—one in five in eastern Germany is living below the poverty risk threshold
Real disposable household incomes in Germany rose by an average of five percent from 2000 to 2012. At the same time, according to a study by the German Institute for Economic ...
19.06.2015
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Press Release
DIW Berlin’s energy experts argue for a public-law nuclear fund – nuclear power plant operators’ provisions for dismantling and atomic waste disposal are not enough
Even by the end of 2022, after the very last German nuclear power plant has been removed from the grid, the lights in this country will not go out: The electricity supply remains secure, as DIW Berlin’s calculations ...
05.06.2015
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Press Release
Plant operators must sell their electricity themselves – costs of forecast deviations and site-specific changes in revenue make wind power unnecessarily expensive
The 2014 reform of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz, or EEG) mandates that operators of new large power plants market their electricity directly in order to create incentives for good wind forecasts and ...
20.05.2015