DIW Economic Bulletin

Assessing Risk Attitude: The Benefits of Pooling Measures

In Germany and many other countries, financial advisors are required by law to assess their clients’ risk preferences in order to help them make informed and appropriate investment decisions. Most institutions that provide financial advice - banks, for instance - carry out this assessment using just one type of risk measure. Financial advisors might ask clients to answer a question about their attitudes ...

Ganzes Heft

There Is a High Level of Willingness to Show Solidarity: Seven Questions to Holger Lengfeld

Solidarity with EU Countries in Crisis: Results of a 2015 Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) Survey

In response to the European sovereign debt and currency crisis, the EU has begun to implement measures toward fiscal solidarity at least for the euro area. Survey data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) study show that just under half of all adults in Germany generally support providing assistance to EU countries experiencing financial difficulties. Almost one in three respondents also advocate the ...

Ganzes Heft

ECB Announcements Lift Inflation Expectations by Overall 20–30 Basis Points: Seven Questions to Malte Rieth

ECB Asset Purchase Programs Raise Inflation Expectations in the Euro Area

Facing deflationary threats, the ECB has engaged in several forms of asset purchase programs to fulfill its mandate of maintaining price stability. A main objective of these programs is raising inflation expectations, as these are a main determinant of actual inflation. This study empirically evaluates the effectiveness of these ECB policies in raisinginflation expectations. The results suggest that ...

Ganzes Heft

Better Career Opportunities for Women Will Help Lower the Gender Pay Gap: Nine Questions to Elke Holst

Women's Likelihood of Holding a Senior Management Position Is Considerably Lower than Men's - Especially in the Financial Sector

Women remain grossly underrepresented in management positions in Germany. However, what has been dubbed the gender leadership gap, i.e., the difference between the share of all employees who are women and the share of women in senior management positions, varies considerably across different industries. The present report shows that the largest gender gap in the likelihood of holding a senior management ...

Ganzes Heft

Brexit Decision Is Poison for Investment in Germany: Seven Questions to Ferdinand Fichtner

German Economy: Upward Trend Continues Despite Brexit Vote’s Dampening Effect

Subdued Global Growth, Restrained European Expansion

Ganzes Heft

Children and Adolescents with Refugee Background Less Likely to Participate in Voluntary Educational Programs - with Exception of Extracurricular School Activities

Non-compulsory educational programs including extracurricular school activities, child day care centers, and non-formal educational programs, such as sports or music activities outside of school, make an important contribution to social integration. But to what extent do children and their families actually make use of these voluntary programs? On the basis of the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and the ...

Half of the Refugees in Germany Found Their First Job Through Social Contacts

In Germany, the majority of people tend to find work through friends, acquaintances, and relatives when they first enter the labor market or switch jobs. The same applies to immigrants and their offspring. Integrating refugees into the labor market is considered crucial to their overall integration into society, yet little is known about how they land their first jobs. The present paper attempts to ...

Refugees Entered the Labor Market Later Than Other Migrants

It has taken longer for refugees who have been living in Germany for some time, particularly those who arrived between 1990 and 2010, to take up gainful employment than other migrants. These findings are based on data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and the IAB-SOEP Migration Sample. In addition, these refugees show a higher rate of unemployment and earn lower incomes by comparison even years ...

Language Acquisition: Refugees Nearly Achieve Proficiency Level of Other Migrants

Whether they’re looking to participate in social life, enter the German labor market, or obtain relevant training certificates, learning German is a critical part of integration for the majority of refugees—and yet only a handful of studies have examined their language acquisition patterns and skill levels. The IAB-SOEP Migration Sample, which was collected by the Institute for Employment Research ...

Many Refugees Have Work Experience but a Smaller Share Possess Formal Vocational Qualifications

Academic and vocational qualifications play a crucial role when it comes to successfully integrating refugees and other migrants into society. What qualifications did migrants already acquire in their country of origin and which did they obtain in Germany? And to what extent are qualifications gained abroad recognized in Germany? The IAB-SOEP Migration Sample shows that the majority of the migrant ...