Publications of the Research Unit Labour Markets and Social Insurance

  1. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 99-30 // 1999

    Is Portugal Really so Arteriosclerotic from a Cross-country Analysis of Labor Adjustment

    Reputation indexes of employment protection have proven popular constructs in studies of the covariation of labor market institutions and macroeconomic outcomes. Portugal occupies an unenviable rank order in…

  2. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 99-25 // 1999

    Human Capital Creates Insider Power

    This paper demonstrates that insiders can erect barriers to entry and skim rents by sinking costs in human capital when labour markets are otherwise perfectlycontestable. The sunk costs nature of human capital…

  3. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 99-24 // 1999

    Innovations Induce Asymmetric Employment Movements

    This paper provides a labour supply explanation to the observation thatin Germany employment changes are asymmetric during the business cycle.Employment increases are slower, because the reservation wage of…

  4. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 99-21 // 1999

    Mobilität nach der beruflichen Ausbildung : Eine empirische Studie für Westdeutschland

    This econometric study deals with the question as to what extent apprentices after successfully completing their training stay with the firm where they have received their training and, if so, how long that job…

  5. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 99-16 // 1999

    Business Cycles in EU Member States

    The paper investigates the business cycle relationships between the EU-15, the EU-11, as well as the EU-core countries for the period 1971 to 1997. Emphasis is put on the question whether there is a…

  6. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 99-10 // 1999

    Regional Convergence and Economic Performance - A Case Study of the West German Laender

    In the paper we analyze the convergence process of the West German Laender from 1970 to 1995 using descriptive tools as well as panel estimation methods. Although there have been some winners in this process,…

  7. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 99-06 // 1999

    Curvature Conditions and Substitution Pattern among Capital, Materials and Heterogeneous Labour

    This study deals with the determinants of factor demand in 27 industries of the manufacturing sector during the period 1978 to 1990. Using a quadratic cost function, six production factors are distinguished:…