Measuring the conditions for participation in Germany for the next few years: An application of the TBI

The concept of participation can be used to evaluate and assess socioeconomic changes. Most analysis that apply participation as reference point for socioeconomic development concentrate on the individual level. We try to give evidence for reasons and explanations for accomplished or changing individual participation using socio-economic modelling on the meso and macro level. The proposed indicator measures the existing and changing conditions of participation. First results show that participation conditions have shown a general upward tendency since 2006. The projection results suggest that the improvement of participation conditions continues till the end of 2016. Afterwards, the indicator will gradually decline reaching the zero line in 2021, which is mainly caused by a slow-down of the initially very positive economic situation. However, participation conditions are not likely to decline to a level as low as in the mid-2000s.