EPoS press releases
Press release: Why Extending “Short-Time Work” Will Not Save Jobs
• Economists compare short-time work extension with wage cuts
Bonn, Mannheim, 25.11.2024 – Germany is in economic crisis. According to the latest figures from the Federal Employment Agency, the number of people in short-time work programs has risen by around 55 per cent to 215,300 within a year (April 2024). In the past, the government often extended the duration of short-time work benefits with the objective to save jobs. Yet, a recent study by economic researchers shows when this does not happen. These findings are published by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim in the discussion paper “Short-Time Work Extensions”.
Press release: Retiring Later: Dutch Grannies Work at the Expense of Their Daughters
• Economists analyze Dutch pension reform
• First evidence of unintended consequences on three generations revealed
Bonn, Mannheim, 08.07.2024 – Reforming the pension system has knock-on effects for families across generations: In the Netherlands, for every hour that grandmothers work longer, their adult daughters with young children work 40 minutes less. This widens existing gender gaps within families and in society at large. Furthermore, the performance of children at school is affected by the reform. These findings are published by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim in the discussion paper “Spillover Effects of Old-Age Pension across Generations: Family Labor Supply and Child Outcomes”.
Press Release: Stock Markets Underestimate Climate Risks, Finance Experts Say
• Researchers survey around 2,000 finance professionals worldwide (CFA)
Bonn, Mannheim, 01.07.2024 – 68 percent of international finance experts think that stock prices currently do not reflect climate risks adequately. This is the result of an online survey of nearly 2,000 international investment experts conducted by economists. The researchers also find that the political leanings of finance professionals influence their climate risk evaluations. These findings are published by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim in the discussion paper “Mental Models in Financial Markets: How Do Experts Reason About the Pricing of Climate Risk?”.
Press release: Why French Canal Plus TV Channels Broadcast About 50% More Far-Right Opinions
• New billionaire channel owner shifted political coverage
• EPoS team analyzed about 262,000 guests on TV and radio shows (2002-2020)
Bonn, Mannheim, 27.06.2024 – The coverage that media outlets give to political parties changes when a new owner takes over: Three French TV channels from the Canal Plus Group gave about 50 percent more air time to the far right after being bought by French billionaire Vincent Bolloré in 2015. These are findings of the discussion paper “Hosting Media Bias: Evidence from the Universe of French Broadcasts” published by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
Press Release: French Manufacturers Cut Emissions By 43 Million Tonnes
• EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) has proved effective
• Economists analyze data of 252 ETS-regulated industrial companies
Bonn, Mannheim, 30.05.2024 – In France, pricing carbon dioxide has proved to be an effective tool for reducing producers’ emissions: According to a new study, the manufacturing sector cut this harmful greenhouse gas by an estimated 15 percent during the first eight years of the EU Emissions Trading System (2005-2012, estimated 5.4 m tonnes per year). In total, this exceeds the CO2 emissions that Sweden emits in one year (38 m tonnes). Output was unaffected by the costs of complying with this policy. These results are obtained in a study by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim, forthcoming in the Review of Economic Studies under the title “Does Pricing Carbon Mitigate Climate Change? Firm-Level Evidence from the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme“.
Press release: Six Years Of GDPR: Researchers See A Mixed Record In Germany
• Privacy policies from 75,000 German companies analyzed
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 15.05.2024 – The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires companies to disclose in plain language how they process personal data. A recent study shows that companies in Germany have indeed published considerably more information since then. However, readability - and therefore easy user access to information - has not improved significantly. These study results are published by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim in the discussion paper “Regulatory Compliance with Limited Enforceability: Evidence from Privacy Policies”.
Press release: How Job Losses Caused By Machines Led To Better-Paid Work
• Empirical analysis of 380,000 women in Norway
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 07.05.2024 – Artificial intelligence, self-driving cars or smart robots are rapidly changing the way we work. People are more and more afraid of being replaced by machines. Research shows that the outlook is not necessarily negative. A new study analyzes the careers of young rural women who were being pushed out of agriculture in the 1950s upon the adoption of milking machines in Norway. Upskilling and education are the key to long-term success for the human workforce when technology automates tasks. These results are published by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
Press release: Why Only Every Second Woman Wants To Work Full-Time As Mother
• Representative surveys of 5,000 individuals
• Increasing hours worked by mothers counteracts skills shortage
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 25.03.2024 – Almost half of the women in Germany work part-time, compared to only about 10 percent of men. New research reveals that perceptions of women drive their work-related decisions: Even in a best-case scenario of high-quality, full-day childcare, only 55 percent of women would want to work full-time – 40 percent would work part-time when having a child. These are findings of the discussion paper “Beliefs About Maternal Labor Supply” published by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
Press release: Basic Pension Increases Life Expectancy
• OECD warns of old-age poverty
• German government subsidy for low-income pensions analyzed
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 11.03.2024 – Subsidizing pensions of low-income retirees has important health benefits and lowers the risk of dying early. The analysis of German administrative data shows: A government subsidy of 100 Euros per month (13% increase of pension benefits) reduces the probability of dying before age 65 by 23.5 percent, before age 70 by 8 percent and before age 75 by 2 percent. These are findings of the discussion paper “Live Longer and Healthier: Impact of Pension Income for Low-Income Retirees” published by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
Press release: “Early Bird Car-Sharing Drivers” Can Reduce Traffic Jams
Bonn, Mannheim, 06.03.2024 – The usage of shared electric vehicles peaks earlier than overall traffic – a study of road trips in Madrid shows. This effect can help to smooth road traffic, reducing congestion and emissions in big cities. These are findings of the discussion paper “Observed Patterns of Free-Floating Car-Sharing Use” published by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
Press release: US Wealth Gap Rises: Black Americans Shy Away From Stock Market
• Higher risk of losing the job prevents stock investment
• Capital gains widen racial income disparities (+15%, 1980-2020)
Bonn, Mannheim, 01.03.2024 – Black Americans face a higher risk of losing their job than white Americans, especially during economic recession. That is why Black Americans invest less in the stock market, worsening the racial wealth gap in the US. Had the risk of unemployment been the same for Black and white Americans in the period 1980-2020, the wealth gap would have risen by 3 percent, whereas it actually grew by 15 percent. These are findings of the discussion paper “Unemployment risk, portfolio choice, and the racial wealth gap” published by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
Press release: Equal Pay Day: Women Expect 500,000 Euros Less Than Men
• Women anticipate unequal treatment and accumulate salary losses
• EPoS study analyzes data from 15,000 students
Bonn, Mannheim, 29.02.2024 – A new EPoS study on the gender pay gap shows that female students expect to earn significantly less than men throughout their professional careers. All in all, they expect to earn more than half a million euros less in their working life. In line with their expectations, women demand lower wages, so that the gender pay gap persists. These are findings of the discussion paper “Gender Differences in Wage Expectations and Negotiation” published by the EPoS Economic Research Center.
Press release: Surprising Finding: Higher Alcohol and Cigarette Taxes Reduce Marijuana Use
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 08.02.2024 – Young people often use marijuana in combination with alcohol and cigarettes. Therefore, a combination of tax increases on all three counterbalances rising marijuana use among youth after legalization. These are empirical findings of the discussion paper “More than Joints:Multi-Substance Use, Choice Limitations, and Policy Implications” by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
Press release: How Facebook, Google & Co. Harm Workers’ Wages
• Acquisition of firms for hiring eliminates labor market competition
Bonn, Mannheim, 31.01.2024 – Large tech firms such as Facebook and Google claim to buy small startups to get specialized talent. Yet, the economic analysis suggests a different rationale: Acquiring a startup and hiring its staff suppresses competition in the labor market. This harms workers’ wages. These are findings of the discussion paper “Acquihiring for Monopsony Power” published by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
Press release: Black Americans Face Discrimination in Business Social Media
• Experiment studied the acceptance and response rate to Black and White profiles• Young and female users discriminate most• Field study on LinkedIn in the U.S.
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 15.12.2023 – Black Americans face higher initial barriers when using online business networks compared to White Americans. Contact requests from Black profiles on LinkedIn are rejected more often compared to White profiles. These are findings of the discussion paper “LinkedOut? A Field Experiment on Discrimination in Job Network Formation” by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
Press release: Unemployment in Germany Rises With Generous Social Benefits
EPoS Economic Research Center analyses German social security data
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 15.12.2023 – Interactions between generous unemployment insurance and retirement rules can lead to higher unemployment particularly for older workers close to retirement. The reason: The joint effect of both schemes creates an incentive to build a “bridge-to-retirement”. This is the main finding of the discussion paper “When Institutions Interact: How the Effects of Unemployment Insurance are Shaped by Retirement Policies” by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
Press release: Steuergelder werden mit „Energiepreisbremsen“ für Unternehmen nicht sinnvoll eingesetzt
Bonn, Mannheim, 23.11.2023 - Die Energiepreisbremsen bei Strom und Gas in Deutschland werden mit dem jüngsten Gerichtsurteil aus Karlsruhe auf den Prüfstand gestellt. Ökonomen sehen die Entlastungen für Unternehmen in Form von Transferzahlungen und Subventionen kritisch: Eingriffe dieser Art, wie die geplante Absenkung der Stromsteuer für Unternehmen, sind keine sinnvolle Nutzung von Steuergeldern – so ein Fazit einer Studie des EPoS Economic Research Center der Universitäten Bonn und Mannheim. Im aktuellen Diskussionspapier „Hicks in HANK: Fiscal Responses to an Energy Shock“ werden die Wechselwirkungen staatlicher Eingriffe als Reaktion auf Energiepreisschocks untersucht.
Wirtschaftsforscher untersuchen Wechselwirkungen staatlicher Eingriffe
Press release: Why people vote for “populists”
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 21.11.2023 – The fear of losing office in the next election provides a strong incentive for political leaders to satisfy voters. Those in power are particularly prepared to change their political course if the potential successor may belong to a populist party. The threat of voters to switch to populists has a serious impact. These are findings of the discussion paper “Shaking Up the System: When Populism Disciplines Elite Politicians” by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
EPoS Economic Research Center of the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim publishes new paper
Swing voters examined with equilibrium model
Press release: Internet (Power) to the People: How to Bridge the Digital Divide
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 12.09.2023 – The United Nations aims to provide every person with access to the internet by 2030 in line with Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, about 3 billion people are still totally offline today. New EPoS research on how to bridge the digital divide in Colombia shows that internet literacy plans work best in poor neighborhoods – doubling internet access. This research result is published by the EPoS Economic Research Center of the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim in the discussion paper “Internet (Power) to the People: How to Bridge the Digital Divide”.
Press release: Integration Boosts Labor Market Oppurtunities for Migrants in Germany
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 31.08.2023 – Workers with a migration background have particular disadvantages in Germany´s labor market if they live in an ethnic enclave. After being laid off, these people are significantly less likely to find a new job compared to their German colleagues: Over a period of five years after job loss, the probability of employment is on average 5.2 percentage points lower. These research results are published by the EPoS Economic Research Center of the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim in the discussion paper “Job Displacement and Migrant Labor Market Assimilation”.• Ethnic enclaves impair job prospects• Data of German IAB Institute examined before and after mass layoffs
Press release: Job Level Changes Account for 50 Percent of Wage Growth – EpoS economists report
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 13.07.2023 – Moving to higher job levels is an integral part of climbing the career ladder and accounts for 50 percent of workers’ wage growth in the course of a professional life. The job level encompasses the complexity of tasks, the autonomy in performing it, and the responsibilities associated with it. This novel perspective on what determines wage structures is published in the Discussion Paper “Job levels and Wages” by EPoS economic research center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.• EPoS research analyzes career paths of workers in the U.S. and Germany.
Press release: How Pension Policies Counteract Government Goals – EPoS research reveals
Bonn, Mannheim, Germany, 05.07.2023 – Across OECD countries, almost half of all grandparents are involved in the childcare of at least one grandchild. Reforming pension systems to keep people in work longer therefore has serious effects on families across generations. New EPoS economic research using Dutch administrative data shows: for every hour that a grandmother works longer, her adult daughter woks less by half an hour.
Press release: “Wolf of Wall Street” Image Puts People Off Stock Market Investment – EPoS research shows
• 8,402 individuals surveyed in 11 countries by EPoS economic research center• Shareholders seen as greedy, gambler-like and selfish
Press release: U.S.-China Trade War: Why Trump Tariffs Backfired – new research reveals
• U.S. importers paid 93% of tariffs on Chinese goods• China’s importers paid 68% of tariffs - different strategies chosen• Total of 17,000 products reviewed by EPoS studyBonn, Mannheim, Germany, 13.06.2023 – In the trade conflict between the world's two largest economies, U.S. importers have suffered from heavier price increases compared to their Chinese counterparts: Latest EPoS economic research at Mannheim University in Germany shows that almost 100 percent of U.S. punitive tariffs were borne by American importers. In contrast, only 68 percent of China’s retaliatory tariffs were shouldered by Chinese importers, U.S. exporters paid the other 32 percent. These are findings of theDiscussion Paper “Who Pays for the Tariffs and Why? A Tale of Two Countries” published by EPoSCollaborative Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.
Press release: “Why Later Retirement Increases Mortality Risk”
Mannheim, Germany, 09.05.2023 – Populations are ageing rapidly worldwide: The OECD projects that the number of retirees per worker will rise by 50 percent until 2050. To cope with rising costs, governments aim to reform their public pension schemes. One of the main policy tools is to raise the minimum eligibility age. Yet, a new study by the University of Mannheim shows that removing early retirement increases the hazard of dying. “The Effect of Removing Early Retirement on Mortality” Discussion Paper is published by Cristina Bellès-Obrero, Ph.D., Prof. Sergi Jiménez-Martin and Prof. Han Ye at the EPoS Collaborative Research Center Transregio 224, a cooperation of the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim in Germany.
Press release: Racial Wealth Gap in the US Threatens to Perpetuate, Study Says
The racial wealth gap is the largest of the economic disparities between Black and white Americans, with a white-to-Black per capita wealth ratio of 6 to 1. It is also among the most persistent. In 2019, this means that Black Americans held just 17 cents on average for every white dollar of health.
Soaring Machinery Imports Boosted China’s Wage Inequality, Study Says
Over the last few decades, China has witnessed a rapid surge in the wage skill premium dueto growing machinery imports. Accordingly, wages for skilled workers rose disproportionately,widening wage inequality.
Press Release: Tighter Monetary Policy Hits Firms with Short Debt Maturity First
As consumer prices soar around the globe, central banks’ reactions have moved to the forefront again. Inflation jumped to more than eight percent in the US and the European Union, causing concern about rapid interest rate hikes and their economic consequences.
Press release: Real-Time Electricity Pricing Needs Extra Measures to Foster Adoption, Study Says
Real-time electricity pricing is a topic currently considered in many countries worldwide. Still, initial experience in New Zealand shows, that there are obstacles which hamper consumers’ willingness to switch to a real-time tariff.
Press release: Banning Payday Loans Lowers Household’s Welfare, Study Says
Payday loans are subject of an intense and sometimes even grim debate, in particular in the U.S. Advocates emphasise the role of payday loans in smoothing consumption while opponents have long argued that these lenders exploit poor households and should be banned.
Other press releases covering EPoS research*
University of Bonn, September 18, 2024
IZA, September 18, 2024
ZEW, August 19, 2024
ZEW, August 8, 2024
ZEW, June 10, 2024
University of Mannheim, May 23, 2024
briq, September 1, 2022
ECONtribute, August 5, 2022
RWI, Jule 14, 2022
Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaten, August 8, 2022
University of Mannheim, August 8, 2022
briq, March 23, 2022
briq, March 16, 2022
University of Mannheim; March 09, 2022
briq, March 07, 2022
ECONtribute, February 17, 2022
University of Mannheim, January 28, 2022
ECONtribute, Januar 25, 2022
ECONtribute, December 13, 2022
IZA. November 16, 2021
briq, July 09, 2021
ECONtribute, July 09, 2022
ECONtribute, June 30, 2021
ECONtribute, October 29, 2020
ECONtribute, October 07, 2020
ECONtribute, April 17, 2020
IZA, April 17, 2020
*The CRC TR 224 bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.