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Majority of Germans in Favor of Financing Climate Protection through Taxes Instead of Debt
Around 66 percent of German households are in favor of raising the top tax rate to finance climate action. This is the finding of an ifo study based on a survey in which German households were asked about their preferences with regard to financing climate change policies.
Short-Time Work Rises in Germany – by Almost 20 Percent
The number of short-time workers in Germany rose by almost 20 percent in January. According to estimates by the ifo Institute, 2.6 million people were on short-time work, up from 2.2 million in December. The January figure represents 7.8 percent of employees subject to social insurance contributions, up from 6.6 percent in December. Hospitality is the most affected industry.
Shortage of Skilled Workers Worsens for German Manufacturers of Machinery and Equipment
German manufacturers of machinery and equipment are increasingly short of skilled workers. In the July ifo Institute survey, 43.0 percent of participating companies in the industry reported a shortage, compared with 38.7 percent in April.
Ethics Education Affects Religiosity, Gender Roles, and the Labor Market
The introduction of ethics classes in Germany as an alternative to religious education led to reduced religiosity in students’ later life. It also eroded traditional attitudes to gender roles and increased labor market participation and wages. These are the findings of a new study by the ifo Institute. “There was a reduction not just in general religiosity but also in the likelihood of attending religious services, praying, or being a member of a church,” says ifo researcher Ludger Wößmann. These effects were most notable in catholic regions.
Germany’s Middle Class Has Shrunk Slightly
The middle class in Germany has shrunk slightly over the last ten years. While 65 percent of the population belonged to the middle class in 2007, only 63 percent did so in 2019. This decrease is due to both upward and downward social mobility, finds a study conducted by the ifo Institute on behalf of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
ifo Institute Affirms 0.6 Percent Growth in 2019
The ifo Institute has reaffirmed its spring forecast of 0.6 percent economic growth in 2019. “Economic development is divided. The export-oriented manufacturing sector, which generates about a quarter of the value added, is in recession. At the same time, domestically oriented service providers and the construction industry are recording robust and sometimes strong growth,” says Timo Wollmershaeuser, Head of ifo Economic Forecasts.
Immediate Arrests Help Reduce Domestic Violence
Immediate arrest of the perpetrator by police in cases of domestic violence reduces the likelihood of new assaults by about 50 percent, finds an ifo Institute study using data from the United Kingdom. “Domestic violence affects one-third of all women worldwide and incurs costs in the billions. Yet, the issue of how to effectively stop domestic violence and prevent it from recurring is still unresolved despite its common occurrence and severity. Immediate arrests not only provide short-term relief, but also deter repeat offenses in the long term,” says Helmut Rainer, Director of the ifo Center for Labor and Demographic Economics.
ifo Institute Wants to Expand Incentives for German Women to Work
The ifo Institute has advocated expanding the participation of women in the German labor force, describing this as a necessary step to stabilize the social security systems when the baby boomers retire. This is what Helmut Rainer, Director of the ifo Center for Labor and Demographic Economics, and Andreas Peichl, Director of the ifo Center for Macroeconomics and Surveys, write in ifo Schnelldienst.
Inflation Continues to Decline in Germany
ifo price expectations in Germany fell to 14.3 points in March, down from 15.0 points in February. This is their lowest level since March 2021. “Inflation is still on the decline and should fall below 2% this summer. From a German perspective, there’s no reason why the ECB shouldn’t cut interest rates soon,” says Timo Wollmershäuser, Head of Forecasts at ifo.
ifo Schnelldienst: Electric Vehicles are not a Panacea for Climate Change
Electric vehicles will barely help cut CO2 emissions in Germany over the coming years, as the introduction of electric vehicles does not necessarily lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions from road traffic.
ifo Business Climate Index Falls (October 2020)
Sentiment among business leaders has clouded over. The ifo Business Climate Index fell from 93.2 points (seasonally adjusted) in September to 92.7 points in October. This is the first fall after five consecutive increases. Companies are considerably more skeptical regarding developments over the coming months. In contrast, they gave a slightly more positive assessment of their current situation than last month. In view of rising infection numbers, German business is becoming increasingly worried.
Boosting Productivity through Digitalization Takes Time
After a time lag of several years, the technical advances achieved through digitalization in the early 2000s have led to an increase in productivity in German industry. This is according to calculations by the ifo Institute. “Companies need time to adjust their production processes. New technology establishes itself gradually, not overnight. This means that although it’s theoretically possible to increase productivity right away, in practice it happens after some time,” says ifo researcher Robert Lehmann. “So even though digital technologies began to become more widespread at the start of the 2000s, productivity in the economic sectors we examined increased only toward the end of that decade.”
Short-Time Work Declining More Slowly in Germany
The number of people on short-time work is continuing to fall, but the pace of this decline has slowed. In September, there were 610,000 people left on short-time work, down from 694,000 in August and 1.07 million in July. This equates to 1.8 percent of dependent employees, compared with 2.1 percent in August and 3.2 percent in July. These figures are ifo Institute estimates based on its Business Survey and on data from the German Federal Employment Agency.
Institut ifo / EconPol Europe : seules l’Estonie et la Lituanie atteignent l’objectif de 2 % fixé par l’OTAN avec des finances publiques solides
Parmi les 25 pays européens membres de l’OTAN, Suède comprise, seules l’Estonie et la Lituanie ont atteint en 2023 l’objectif de 2 % du PIB tout en affichant des finances publiques saines. C’est la conclusion de la nouvelle étude EconPol menée par les chercheurs de l’Institut ifo.
ifo Institute: Short-Time Work Continues To Increase in German Industry
More and more industrial companies in Gemany are introducing short-time work. This is the result of the latest survey conducted by the ifo Institute, which found that the share of companies to have introduced short-time work grew to 8.4 percent in December 2019 – its highest level since 2010. What’s more, the share of companies expecting to introduce short-time work over the next three months has risen to 15.3 percent.
ifo Institute: German Industry Less Keen to Exhibit at Trade Fairs in the Future
After Covid-19, trade fair companies will have to prepare for business to be more difficult. Fully 39 percent of the German industrial companies that have exhibited at trade fairs in the past intend to reduce their participation in such events. This is a finding from the ifo Business Survey for August. Only 2 percent intend to participate in more trade fairs in the future, while 59 percent are not looking to change the degree of their commitment. “Trade fairs will remain important for companies, but they will have to change,” says ifo trade fair expert Horst Penzkofer.
Economists Expect Very High Inflation Worldwide
Economists expect inflation rates worldwide to be high this year and next. For 2022, the expected rate is 9.5 percent, finds the latest Economic Experts Survey (EES) – a quarterly survey conducted by the ifo Institute and the Swiss Economic Policy Institute – which this time had 1,687 participants from over 100 countries. “Compared with the second quarter, inflation expectations for 2022 have once again risen significantly by 1.8 percentage points,” says ifo researcher Niklas Potrafke.
ifo Investment Database (2015)
10.7805/ebdc-iidb-2015
Allemagne : La pandémie retarde la reprise et l'évolution démographique freine la croissance
Dans leur rapport de printemps, les instituts de recherche les plus représentatifs d'Allemagne prévoient une augmentation du produit intérieur brut allemand de 3,7 % cette année et de 3,9 % en 2022. Les nouvelles fermetures décrétées en Allemagne retardent la reprise économique, mais dès que les risques de contamination auront été écartés, principalement par la vaccination massive, une forte reprise s'amorcera. La situation de charge de l'économie allemande devrait revenir à la normale vers le début de l'année prochaine.
Economy in Shock – Fiscal Policy to Counteract
The coronavirus pandemic is triggering a severe recession in Germany. Economic output will shrink by 4.2 percent this year. This is what the leading economics research institutes expect in their spring report. For next year, they are forecasting a recovery and growth of 5.8 percent.