1. Refereed Journal // forthcoming

    Birth Cohort Size Variation and the Estimation of Class Size Effects

    We show that in school systems with grade retention or redshirting birth cohort size is negatively related to the grade-level share of students who are too old for their grade. This compositional effect gives…

  2. Discussion and Working Paper // forthcoming

    Endogenous worst-case beliefs in first-price auctions

    Bidding in first-price auctions crucially depends on the beliefs of the bidders. We analyze bidding behavior in a first-price auction in which the knowledge of the bidders about the distribution of the values of…

  3. Refereed Journal // 2025

    Computers as Stepping Stones? Technological Change and Equality of Labor Market Opportunities

    This  paper  analyzes  whether  technological  change  improves  equality  of  labormarket opportunities by increasing the returns to skills relative to the returns toparental background.  We find that in…

  4. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 24-074 // 2024

    R&D Grants and R&D Tax Credits in Belgium: Evidence on the Policy Mix

    Drawing on a longitudinal database of Belgian firms over the years 2014-2020, this study investigates the joint effect of R&D grants and R&D tax credits on R&D inputs and innovation outputs. We estimate…

  5. Refereed Journal // 2024

    Reversing fortunes of German regions, 1926–2019: Boon and bane of early industrialization?

    This paper shows that nineteenth-century industrialization is an essential determinant of the pronounced changes in economic prosperity across German regions over the last 100 years. Using novel data on economic…

  6. Refereed Journal // 2024

    The integration of migrants in the German labour market: evidence over 50 years

    Germany has become the second-most important destination for migrants worldwide. Using all waves from the microcensus, we study their labour market integration over the last 50 years and highlight differences to…

  7. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 24-076 // 2024

    Access, Achievements, and Aspirations: The Impacts of School Tracking on Student Outcomes

    Though the use of tracking policies to stratify students is commonplace, evidence concerning the effects of ability-based tracking on student performance is mixed. Using rich data from the Hungarian secondary…