In this paper we analyse the employment implications of firing restrictions. We find that when a recession is expected and the trend rate of productivity growth is small, a rise in firing costs affects mainly the hiring decision. Thus there is a negative effect on average employment. When, on...

In Deutschland wurde zum 1. Januar 2015 ein flächendeckender, gesetzlicher Mindestlohn von 8,50 Euro pro Stunde eingeführt. Kritiker des Mindestlohnes führen an, dass dieser zu erheblichen Beschäftigungsverlusten führen würde. Befürworter stellen dies in Frage und führen für den...

The economic crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic is unprecedented in recent history. We contribute to a growing literature investigating the economic consequences of covid-19 by showing how unemployment-related online searches across the EU27 reacted to the introduction of lock-downs. We...