We study the impact of agglomeration effects on firms’ total factor productivity (TFP) for industry groups defined by technology intensity. This allows for non-uniform effects on firms depending on their technological level. We find that urban economies have the largest impact on firm productivity in high-technology industries, while they have no effectin low-technology industries. For firms in the ...
This paper investigates the elusive role of productivity heterogeneity in new trade models in the trade and environment nexus. We contrast the Eaton-Kortum and the Melitz models with firm heterogeneity to the Armington and Krugman models without heterogeneity. We show that if firms have a constant emission share in terms of sales — as they do in a wide range of trade and environment models — the...
Patience and risk-taking—two preference components that steer intertemporal decision-making—are fundamental to human capital investment decisions. To understand how they contribute to international skill differences, we combine Programme for International Student Assessment tests with the Global Preference Survey. We find that opposing effects of patience (positive) and risk-taking (negative) together ...
The advent of cloud computing promises to improve the way firms use IT solutions. Firms are expected to replace large and inflexible fixed-cost investments in IT with more targeted, variable spending on cloud solutions. This is also expected to increase firms' productivity by allowing them to quickly adapt their IT infrastructure to their specific needs. We assess this claim using firm-level data provided ...
Diese Dissertation umfasst vier eigenständige Kapitel, die zur Literatur in der BildungsundArbeitsmarktökonomie beitragen. Sie zeigen auf, welche Determinanten zu denLohnerwartungen von Abiturienten beitragen (Kapitel 1) und wie diese Erwartungenzusammen mit Arbeitsmarktbedingungen zum Zeitpunkt des Abiturs (Kapitel2), Studiengangsrankings (Kapitel 3) und Studiengebühren (Kapitel 4) nachschulischeHumankapitalinvestitionen ...
DIW-Steuerexperte Stefan Bach nimmt die Wahlprogramme der Parteien vor der Bundestagswahl 2025 hinsichtlich ihrer Steuerpläne unter die Lupe. Union und FDP wollen Besser- und Hochverdienende entlasten, SPD und Grüne die unteren und mittleren Einkommen. Der Wissenschaftler legt den Finger in die Wunde: Genug Wachstumseffekte sind unwahrscheinlich, Steuererhöhungen sollten nicht tabu sein. In seinen...