This paper analyzes the impact of shortening the duration of secondary schooling on the accumulation of human capital. In 2003, an educational policy reform was enacted in Saxony-Anhalt, a German state, providing a natural experimental setting. The thirteenth year of schooling was eliminated for...

This paper analyzes the impact of shortening the duration of secondary schooling on the accumulation of human capital. In 2003, an educational policy reform was enacted in Saxony-Anhalt, a German state, providing a natural experimental setting. The thirteenth year of schooling was eliminated for...

Despite the interdependence between cognitive and noncognitive skills, empirical studies have shown a longer period of acquisition in life-time for the latter besides relevance for educational and labor market success. Analyzing returns of investments during different periods of life is...

An important education reform in Germany reduced the duration of university preparatory schooling from 13 to 12 years, but left the curriculum unchanged. In the state of Saxony-Anhalt the reform was completed in 2007 with a double cohort of graduates, providing a natural experiment. We use...

Die Bereitstellung von Betreuungsplätzen für Kinder unter drei Jahren ist ein wichtiger Beitrag zur Verbesserung der Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf. Seit dem 1. August 2013 haben Eltern in Deutschland einen Rechtsanspruch auf die Betreuung. Aber nicht allein die Bereitstellung einer...

Most German states have reformed university preparatory schooling by reducing duration from 13 to 12 years with unchanged graduation requirements. The reform was implemented in the states during the last decade in several consecutive years. In this paper, we use nationwide data on high school...

Recent evidence for the US labour market indicates that despite supply of higher skilled job market entrants rose, there was a (permanent) decline in demand for those qualifications in the aftermath of the Tech Bust in 2000. Since Germany experienced also an increase in high-skilled labour...

Less than a decade ago, several German states introduced tuition fees for university education. Despite their comparatively low level of about €500 per semester, fees were perceived by the public to increase social injustice and have been abolished recently. Whereas other studies have shown no...

We study the effects of continuous training on non-monetary outcomes. Wider benefits of continuous training have become a top priority on the European political agenda. Using SOEP data, we find evidence that continuous training increases life satisfaction, reduces worries about the own economic...

Concurrently with a steady increase of the supply of college educated workers, recent evidence for the U.S. indicated a decline in the demand for and the real wages of this group after 2000. We investigate empirically, whether there has been a similar trend in Germany. Based on comprehensive,...