Fifth "Country Index for Family Enterprises" - Financing Conditions and Education in Germany Have Improved
Research
The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) has conducted the "Country Index for Family Enterprises", an international comparison of investment locations from the perspective of family enterprises. The study on behalf of the Foundation for Family Businesses ("Stiftung Familienunternehmen") is ZEW's fifth assessment of local investment conditions for family-run enterprises.
Like in the previous study from 2013, Germany ranks 12th among the 18 countries considered. However, Germany has improved in some areas, in particular regarding financing conditions and education. The financing options for family-run business have become excellent in Germany since the 2013 study. The educational system is also in good shape, as shown by improving PISA results and a low youth unemployment rate. By contrast, no substantial progress has been achieved in the areas of taxation and regulation - quite to the contrary: the new labour market regulations introduced by the "grand coalition" government, e.g. the minimum wage and regulations concerning temporary employment, might further increase adjustment costs for businesses. From a European perspective, we should be concerned about Italy's and France's failure to improve local investment conditions for family businesses.
The Country Index is available for download (in German) at:
http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/gutachten/StudieStiftungFamilienunternehmenLaenderindex2015.pdf
For more information please contact
PD Dr. Friedrich Heinemann, Phone +49(0)621/1235-149, E-mail heinemann@zew.de