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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.
Institut ifo : depuis 2015, la part des échanges commerciaux entre l'Allemagne et la Grande-Bretagne a nettement diminué
La part du Royaume-Uni dans les importations et les exportations allemandes s'est d'ores et déjà considérablement réduite par rapport au début de la crise du Brexit. « Si 7,4 % des exportations allemandes étaient destinées en 2015 à la Grande-Bretagne, ce chiffre n'était plus que de 6,2 % en 2018 », déclare Martin Braml, expert pour le commerce extérieur auprès de l'Institut ifo. « La situation était comparable pour les importations, leur proportion ayant chuté de 4,25 à 3,75 %. »
Many Germans Would Like to Work Less
Many employees in Germany would like to work less, according to figures from an ifo Institute study for the Bertelsmann Stiftung. Currently, 50 percent of male employees and 41 percent of female employees work more than they would like to. Men work 41 hours a week on average and want to work 37 hours. Women work an average of 32 hours a week and would prefer 30 hours. Both groups would accept wage cuts.
Germany’s Investment Expectations Drop Considerably
Companies in Germany have significantly reduced their investment plans, according to the ifo Institute’s Business Survey. The ifo investment expectations for the current year fell to 2.2 points in November, down from 14.7 points in March.
ifo Employment Barometer Rises Marginally (October 2020)
German companies are cautiously optimistic about hiring. The ifo Employment Barometer climbed to 96.5 points in October after measuring 96.3 points in September. This indicates growth in the workforce in the fourth quarter, but risks remain due to the coronavirus crisis.
Construction Prices in Germany Rise Further
German construction companies are planning to increase prices across the board, according to surveys by the ifo Institute. In building construction, one in two companies expected price adjustments in the coming months. Price increases were also planned in civil engineering, but not to quite the same extent as in building construction. “This is a consequence of the rapid cost increases for building materials, which are now being passed on to customers,” says ifo researcher Felix Leiss.
Number of Short-Time Workers in Germany Continues to Rise Slightly
The number of short-time workers in Germany rose by just under 9 percent to 220,000 in February. In January, the figure was 203.000. This is the highest number since last June, according to estimates by the ifo Institute based on the ifo Business Survey and figures from the German Federal Employment Agency. “Developments in short-time work reflect the current mild winter recession,” says ifo labor market researcher Sebastian Link. As a share of the workforce, the figure climbed from 0.6 percent to 0.7 percent.
ifo Institut: Mehr Ehrenamt und weniger Populismus bei lokalen Wurzeln
Bürger, die sich mit ihrer lokalen Gemeinde stark verbunden fühlen, gehen im Durchschnitt häufiger zur Kommunalwahl, interessieren sich stärker für Politik, wählen seltener populistische Parteien und engagieren sich häufiger ehrenamtlich. Dies ist das Ergebnis einer Studie des ifo Instituts Dresden im Auftrag der Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit.
ifo Institute Confirms German Economy to Contract by 0.4 Percent
The ifo Institute has confirmed its forecast for Germany in 2023: economic output is set to shrink by 0.4 percent. It will then rise next year by 1.4 percent – 0.1 percentage points less than previously thought. In 2025, growth is predicted to reach 1.2 percent. “Contrary to expectations so far, the recovery will probably fail to materialize in the second half of the year. The slowdown is continuing, and this trend is seen across almost all industries,” says Timo Wollmershäuser, Head of Forecasts at ifo.
ifo Institute: German Industry Expects Slight Increase in Production
German industry expects production to increase over the coming three months. Sentiment improved in June for the second time in a row, with the ifo production indicator rising from minus 19.5 points in May to plus 4.3 points in June. This is the second largest increase in this indicator since German reunification. For the first time in three months, companies that want to expand their production are in the majority.
ifo President Fuest Praises German Coalition Committee but Has Criticism of Details
The ifo President Clemens Fuest has simultaneously praised the decisions that the coalition committee has taken and criticized some details of those decisions. “Fundamentally, the aid package goes in the right direction, but I also see problems, especially with regard to the reduction of VAT for restaurants and catering,” Fuest said in Munich on Thursday.
German Companies Stick With Their Global Supply Chains
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, only a few companies in Germany have turned to new national supply chains and are looking to replace global procurement. This is the finding of an ifo study for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Of the 5,000 companies surveyed, only one in ten intends to rely more heavily on domestic supply chains in the future.
ifo Export Expectations Rise (February 2024)
Sentiment in the German export industry has brightened somewhat. The ifo Export Expectations rose to -7.0 points in February, up from -8.5 points in January. “The German export economy is hardly benefiting at all from current global economic developments,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. “There’s still a lot of room for improvement.”
Sentiment among German Automakers Brightens Considerably
German automotive manufacturers’ expectations improved significantly in May. The indicator rose from minus 20.5 points in April to plus 38.0 points. “Automotive manufacturers continue to command high sales prices while expecting only minimal further constraints caused by the situation in Ukraine,” says Oliver Falck, Director of the ifo Center for Industrial Organization and New Technologies. The indicator for price expectations remained high at 82.6 points, down from 86.1 points in April.
Institut ifo: l'économie allemande a échappé de justesse à la récession
"L'économie allemande a à peine échappé à la récession en 2018." L'économiste en chef de l'Institut ifo, Timo Wollmershaeuser, a ainsi réagi aux derniers chiffres de l'Office allemand de la statistique. "L'industrie allemande, qui a probablement été en récession au second semestre 2018, est le facteur décisif pour le refroidissement significatif de l'économie", a poursuivi M. Wollmershaeuser. La forte baisse de la production dans l'industrie automobile au troisième trimestre n'a été compensée que dans une faible mesure au quatrième trimestre. En outre, la production dans tous les autres secteurs manufacturiers importants avait diminué à la fin de l'année.
ifo Dresden: The Majority of German Districts Are Economically Resilient
More than 90 percent of German districts are economically robust even in times of crisis. This is the finding of a study conducted by the ifo Institute’s Dresden Branch. Districts with a broadly diversified economic structure and many highly qualified employees are able to recover particularly quickly and fully from an economic slump. “These results from the last major recession in 2008–2009 give us hope for the current coronavirus recession,” says Mona Förtsch, an ifo researcher in Dresden.
ifo President Fuest Welcomes the ECB’s Decision to Maintain its Interest Rate Pause
ifo President Clemens Fuest has praised the European Central Bank’s decision to maintain its interest rate pause. “Inflation is currently moving toward the target of 2.0 percent. That’s why it’s right not to raise interest rates any further. However, it’s still be too early to cut interest rates again, because inflation risks persist. This is primarily due to the current sharp rise in wages, which is leading to higher prices, particularly for services.”
ifo Institute: NRW Has Approved the Most Coronavirus Credits in Germany
North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is the German federal state that has approved the largest amount of coronavirus credits. The most populous state has approved credit authorizations amounting to 33 percent of its 2019 budget, equivalent to EUR 25 billion. It is followed by Bavaria with 31 percent (EUR 20 billion) and Lower Saxony with 27 percent (about EUR 9 billion). These findings are from an article by ifo researchers for ifo Schnelldienst 11/2020. “The volume of credit authorizations and the funds already drawn upon would seem to be a reaction to this extraordinary situation,” write ifo researchers Niklas Potrafke, Joachim Ragnitz, et al. „The debt brake has to be observed as soon as would be responsible, given the development of the business cycle.“
Shortage of Materials in Germany Worsens Following the Attack on Ukraine
The shortage of materials in German manufacturing has become more severe. In March, 80.2 percent of companies complained about bottlenecks and problems procuring intermediate products and raw materials. In February, the figure was 74.6 percent. This is the finding of an ifo Institute survey.
Institut ifo / EconPol Europe : augmentation des cambriolages et des vols de voitures suite à la fermeture de petits bureaux de police
La fusion de petits bureaux de police a eu pour conséquence une augmentation de la criminalité dans les territoires concernés du Land de Bade-Wurtemberg, indique une étude réalisée conjointement par l'Institut ifo, d'EconPol Europe et l'Institut de recherche économique de Halle. La fermeture de postes de police a fait bondir de 18 % le nombre de vols de voitures et de 12 % celui des cambriolages domestiques.