Topic Education

Robust Estimation of Wage Dispersion with Censored Data: An Application to Occupational Earnings Risk and Risk Attitudes

We present a semiparametric method to estimate group-level dispersion, which is particularly effective in the presence of censored data. We apply this procedure to obtain measures of occupation-specific wage dispersion using top-coded administrative wage data from the German IAB Employment Sample (IABS). We then relate these robust measures of earnings risk to the risk attitudes of individuals working ...

The Returns to Education for Opportunity Entrepreneurs, Necessity Entrepreneurs, and Paid Employees

We assess the relevance of formal education on the productivity of the self-employed, distinguishing between opportunity entrepreneurs, who voluntarily pursue a business opportunity, and necessity entrepreneurs, who lack alternative employment options. We expect differences in the returns to education between these groups due to different levels of control over the use of their human capital. The analysis ...

First Do No Harm. Then Do Not Cheat: DRG Upcoding in German Neonatology

Since 2003 German hospitals are reimbursed according to diagnosis related groups (DRGs). Patient classification in neonatology is based inter alia on birth weight, with substantial discontinuities in reimbursement at eight different thresholds. These discontinuities create strong incentives to upcode preterm infants into classes of lower birth weight. Using data from the German birth statistics 1996 ...

Sharp Drop in Youth Unemployment in Germany but Regional Differences Remain

Youth unemployment in Germany has fallen to its lowest level since reunification. Between 2005 and 2012, unemployment among under 25 year olds has more than halved. By international standards, Germany is in an exceptionally strong position. Nowhere in Europe is youth unemployment lower. However, this is not so much due to structural improvements or positive labor market growth than to demographic change: ...

Lack of Training for Young People Continues to be a Cause for Concern: Seven Questions to Karl Brenke

Education, Health Risks, and Economic Outcomes: Essays Based on Micro Data ; Dissertation

This thesis comprises four chapters and investigates the relationship between individuals' education, health risks, and economic outcomes in Germany. The main contributions to the economic literature are twofold: i) Robust evidence for the causal effect of education on health risks is provided and ii) the implications of health risks for individuals' economic outcomes are quantified from a life-cycle ...

Institutional Rearing Is Associated with Lower General Life Satisfaction in Adulthood

We analyzed whether individuals reared in institutions differ in their general life satisfaction from people raised in their families. The data comprised of 19,210 German adults (51.5% female) aged from 17 to 101 years and were provided by the SOEP, an ongoing, nationally representative longitudinal study in Germany. Compared to people raised in families, individuals reared in institutions reported ...

Ethnic Identity and Educational Outcomes of German Immigrants and Their Children

Identity can be an important driving force for educational performance. Immigrants and their children face the challenge of identifying with their host country's culture. Thispaper examines whether young immigrants and their children who identify stronger with the German culture are more likely to increase their educational outcomes. I usea concept of ethnic identity which is designed to capture Germanness ...

A Step in a New Direction: The Effect of the Parent's Money Reform of 2007 on Employment Rates of Mothers in Germany

Increasing maternal employment rates engage policies and people for decades. It is pushed but also questioned at the same time depending on whether women are regarded in first line as mothers or workers. In Germany, the male breadwinner model is traditionally favored. The parent's money reform of 2007 is regarded as a first step towards the dual earner - dual carer model by some scholars. Compared ...

Intrinsic Motivations of Public Sector Employees: Evidence for Germany

We examine differences in altruism and laziness between public sector employees and private sector employees. Our theoretical model predicts that the likelihood of public sector employment increases with a worker·s altruism, and increases or decreases with a workers laziness depending on his altruism. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study, we find that public sector employees are significantly ...