Essays from our quarterly journal of empirical economic researchhttps://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/© 2010-2026 Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW)Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW) RSS Generatoren-ENTue, 29 Sep 2026 10:58:00 +0200Honesty reduces transaction costs and is therefore a prerequisite for effective economic cooperation. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/dominik-h-enste-jennifer-potthoff-the-honesty-attitude-behavior-gap-a-cross-country-comparison.html?utm_source=rssTue, 29 Sep 2026 10:58:00 +0200Critical raw materials are vital inputs for key technologies and thus for industrial competitiveness. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/adriana-neligan-cornelius-baehr-hubertus-bardt-critical-raw-materials-corporate-exposure-supply-risks-and-adaptation-strategies.html?utm_source=rssThu, 06 Aug 2026 11:25:00 +0200The use of AI in Germany’s public sector not only offers potential for efficiency gains but, in view of the sector’s shortage of skilled staff, is also urgently needed. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/jan-buechel-ai-specialists-in-public-administration-needs-and-options-for-action.html?utm_source=rssWed, 15 Jul 2026 08:56:00 +0200The growth of Germany’s capital stock is slowing, as current investment increasingly fails to keep pacewith steadily rising disposals. In particular, private investment – which accounts for well over fourfifths of total gross fixed capital formation – has been alarmingly low in recent years. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/hubertus-bardt-michael-groemling-susanne-seyda-why-do-companies-invest-in-germany.html?utm_source=rssSat, 11 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0200Germany’s infrastructure is in need of thorough modernisation, and this is particularly true at the municipal level, where the capacity to implement such refurbishment is critical. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/thomas-puls-the-difficulty-of-filling-management-posts-in-municipal-planning-and-public-works-departments-an-analysis-of-advertised-vacancies.html?utm_source=rssMon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0200Concerns about the risk of poverty in old age have prompted a multitude of reform proposals, most of which aim to introduce additional redistributive elements into Germany’s statutory pension scheme. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/jochen-pimpertz-maximilian-stockhausen-the-reform-of-old-age-pension-systems-in-germany-irrelevant-objectives-misleading-indicators-and-mistargeted-reforms.html?utm_source=rssTue, 19 May 2026 09:00:00 +0200There appears to be a connection between lifelong learning and remaining longer active in the labour market. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/wido-geis-thoene-andrea-hammermann-ruth-maria-schueler-is-lifelong-learning-the-key-to-later-retirement.html?utm_source=rssTue, 19 May 2026 08:30:00 +0200According to micro-census data (and excluding the ethnic Germans who immigrated from eastern Europe in the 1990s and automatically received citizenship on arrival), in 2022 there were 2.69 million naturalised citizens living in Germany. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/wido-geis-thoene-who-becomes-a-german-citizen-an-analysis-based-on-the-2022-micro-census.html?utm_source=rssMon, 11 May 2026 11:28:00 +0200The extent to which immigrants’ and non-immigrants’ networks of relationships overlap has an im portant impact on the former’s degree of integration into society. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/wido-geis-thoene-partnerships-between-immigrants-and-german-natives.html?utm_source=rssFri, 10 Apr 2026 10:12:00 +0200Although raising Germany’s minimum wage to12 Euro in October 2022 had a noticeable effect on wage distribution, the effect on income poverty remained minimal. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/lennart-eckle-christoph-schroeder-the-minimum-wage-as-a-means-of-combating-income-poverty.html?utm_source=rssSat, 28 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0100