Team
The people behind the ifo Institute offer the very high level of expertise and experience needed to fulfill our research and service mandate.
ifo Institute: “Lockdown Light” in Germany Is Not Enough
An extension of Germany’s current “lockdown light” restrictions would reduce the seven-day infection rate only gradually in the coming weeks, to 75 per 100,000 inhabitants by Christmas. This is according to the latest calculations conducted by the ifo Institute together with researchers from the University of Bonn and the IZA. “Policymakers have the following options to achieve a further reduction in infections: they can tighten restrictions at educational institutions, in the retail trade, or both, or they could even introduce wide-ranging restrictions on social contact and leaving the house, as with a hard lockdown,” says Andreas Peichl, Director of the ifo Center for Macroeconomics and Surveys.
Allemagne : L’Institut ifo confirme sa prévision d’une croissance de 0,6 % pour l’année 2019
L’Institut ifo vient de confirmer sa prévision établie au printemps d’une croissance de 0,6 % pour l’année 2019. « L’évolution conjoncturelle est contrastée. En effet, si l’industrie manufacturière, très axée sur l’exportation et créatrice d’environ un quart de la valeur ajoutée de l’économie allemande, est désormais entrée en récession, les prestataires de services, dont les activités se concentrent sur le marché intérieur, ainsi que l’industrie du BTP enregistrent quant à eux une croissance robuste, voire forte », constate Timo Wollmershaeuser, directeur du service des prévisions conjoncturelles de l’institut.
Business Climate in the German Automotive Industry Brightens
The business climate in Germany’s automotive industry has improved slightly. In September, the indicator rose to -14.7 points, up from -18.1 points* in August. “German automakers and their suppliers are satisfied with their current situation, but their expectations are still at rock bottom,” says Oliver Falck, Director of the ifo Center for Industrial Organization and New Technologies.
ifo Institute Favours Switzerland-Plus Solution for Britain
The ifo Institute has called on the EU to offer Britain a solution modelled on Switzerland. "In view of the deadlocked situation, new approaches are needed," notes Gabriel Felbermayr, Director of the ifo Center for International Economics.
ifo Business Climate Index Rises (March 2023)
Sentiment in German business has improved. The ifo Business Climate Index rose to 93.3 points in March, up from 91.1 points in February. This is its fifth consecutive rise. This upward development was driven primarily by business expectations; companies also assessed their current business as somewhat better. Despite turbulence at some international banks, the German economy is stabilizing.
ifo Institute: Hope in German Automotive Industry That Business Will Improve
Initial indications have appeared among German automotive companies that business is picking up again. This is the finding of the ifo Institute’s latest Business Survey. Business expectations improved considerably for the second consecutive month in July, rising to 43.7 points from 26.9 points in June. Carmakers also expect their exports to grow; the indicator rose to 40.8 points in July from 17.3 points in June.
Tap More Energy Sources for Power Generation
A group of authors led by ifo President Clemens Fuest proposes using as many energy sources as possible for Germany’s electricity supply. “We need to massively accelerate the expansion of renewables as well as the construction of gas-fired power plants that can later run on hydrogen. Nuclear power plants should not be shut down until other power plants that emit no CO2 are ready,” write Fuest, his predecessor Hans-Werner Sinn, entrepreneurs Christoph Theis and Roland Berger, and ifo Administrative Council Chairperson Peter-Alexander Wacker in an essay published in ifo Schnelldienst.
ifo Institute: Students Will Lose Income Later On If Schools Remain Closed for Long
The ifo Institute warns of loss of income in the working life of students whose schools were closed for an extended period during the coronavirus crisis. “Students who lose around a third of a school year’s study time will on average receive approximately 3–4 percent less income over the course of their professional lives,” writes Ludger Woessmann, Director of the ifo Center for the Economics of Education, in an article published in ifo Schnelldienst.
ifo Institute: Short-time Work in Germany Concentrated to Date in Eight Sectors
To date, short-time work in German industry has been concentrated in eight sectors. This is the result of the ifo Institute’s latest survey. The industry with the largest share of companies to have introduced short-time work – 30 percent – is other vehicle construction, i.e., manufacturers of ships, trains, aerospace vehicles, and tanks.
Situation in the German Automotive Industry Worsens
The situation in the German automotive industry has worsened. The ifo indicator slid to 9.6 points in November, down from 17.4 points in October. The downward trend is primarily due to the situation for suppliers. “Automotive suppliers gave much bleaker assessments of their current situation than manufacturers,” says Oliver Falck, Director of the ifo Center for Industrial Organization and New Technologies. The index for suppliers fell to minus 23.0 points.
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 %. »
Government Funds for Education Should Be Linked to Reforms in Germany
The ifo Institute has called for additional government funding for digitalization and support measures in the education system to be tied to reforms, thus ensuring that such funding is used effectively. This position has been put forth in an article in ifo Schnelldienst by Ludger Wößmann, Director of the ifo Center for the Economics of Education.
A Small Dent in the German Automotive Industry’s Business Climate
The business climate in Germany’s automotive industry deteriorated slightly in February after a noticeable brightening in January, according to the ifo Business Survey. “However, with a value of -10.1 points, the industry index is still well above where it was when it bottomed out in 2023,” says Anita Wölfl, a specialist at the ifo Center for Industrial Organization and New Technologies.
Business Climate in the Chemical Industry Plummets
The ifo Business Climate in Germany’s chemical industry deteriorated drastically in August. According to the ifo Institute survey, the indicator fell to minus 33 points, down from minus 14 points in July.
ifo Employment Barometer Rises (August 2021)
Recruitment efforts at German businesses are picking up steam again. The ifo Employment Barometer climbed to 103.6 points in August after measuring 102.4 points in July. The upswing in the labor market continues.
ifo Institute Calls for Improvements to EU’s NGEU Covid Package
The ifo Institute has called for improvements to the NextGenerationEU (NGEU) coronavirus aid package. If the decision to retain control at the European level over how funds are used is to add value, there must be much more emphasis on projects with EU-wide significance, such as technology funding and cross-border infrastructure projects, write ifo President Clemens Fuest and ifo economist Florian Dorn in an article for ifo Schnelldienst 2/2021.
Friday and Monday Most Common Days for Working from Home in Germany
In Germany, the days on which working from home is most prevalent are Friday and Monday, finds a recent ifo Institute survey. “Friday is the most common day for working from home in 55% of companies, ahead of Monday at 35%. By contrast, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are usually office days, also for employees who work from home some of the time,” says ifo researcher Simon Krause. This pattern can be seen in all sectors of the economy and across small, medium-sized, and large companies, albeit to different degrees. “Especially on Fridays, many offices are empty in companies with a large proportion of people working from home,” he adds.
Fewer and Fewer German Companies Plan to Increase Prices
Fewer and fewer German companies are planning to raise their prices in the next three months, finds the ifo Institute’s latest survey. For the economy as a whole, the ifo price expectations fell to 21.5 points in April, down from 27.1 points (seasonally adjusted) in March. This marks the seventh consecutive decline. “This suggests that the wave of price increases has already peaked,” says Timo Wollmershäuser, Head of Forecasts at ifo.
Institut ifo : l'amélioration des résultats PISA peut stimuler la puissance économique de façon considérable
L'amélioration du niveau des élèves pourrait sensiblement stimuler la puissance économique de l'Allemagne et de l’Union Européenne dans le long terme. « Si les scores s'amélioraient de 25 points PISA en Allemagne, notre puissance économique progresserait de 7,3 %. Cette augmentation correspondrait à une valeur de 14 billions d'euros pour le reste du siècle », constate Ludger Woessmann, directeur du Centre de l'économie de l'éducation au sein de l'Institut ifo. Ces chiffres résultent d'une étude récente qu'il a menée avec Eric Hanushek, de l'université de Stanford (États-Unis), pour le compte de la Commission européenne. Les résultats obtenus s'appuient sur le constat scientifiquement prouvé qu'il existe une corrélation étroite entre performances éducatives et croissance économique.
Institut ifo/EconPol : Le Brexit pénalisera en particulier les entreprises du Royaume-Uni
Les entreprises du Royaume-Uni pourraient être particulièrement affectées par le Brexit, indique une étude réalisée par l'Institut ifo et le réseau de recherche EconPol Europe. Pour quelle raison ? Les entreprises britanniques importent beaucoup de produits intermédiaires achetés auprès d'un petit nombre de sous-traitants basés dans l'Union européenne. « L'actuelle crise de la Covid-19 a démontré qu'une diversification des chaînes logistiques est essentielle pour atténuer les effets négatifs de ruptures d'approvisionnement imprévues », explique Lisandra Flach, directrice du Centre d'économie internationale de l'Institut ifo.