Recent research on international productivity comparisons with historical data has encountered large discrepancies between benchmark comparisons and time series extrapolations from other benchmarks. Broadberry and Burhop (2005) have recently argued that for Hoffmann’s (1965) widely accepted...

We evaluate explanations for why Germany grew so quickly in the 1950s. The recent litera- ture has emphasized convergence, structural change and institutional shake-up while minimiz- ing the importance of the postwar shock. We show that this shock and its consequences were more important than...

Germany experienced an even deeper fall in GDP in the Great Recession than the United States with little employment loss. Employers’ reticence to hire in the preceding expansion - associated in part with a lack of confidence it would last - contributed to an employment shortfall equivalent to...

This paper analyzes determinants for regional differences in German unemployment rates. We specify a spatial panel model to avoid biased and inefficient estimates due to spatial dependence. Additionally, we control for temporal dynamics in the data. Our study covers the whole of Germany as well...

Mengenrationierungsmodelle erwiesen sich in den vergangenen Jahren als geeignete Instrumente, um Entwicklungen auf Güter- und Arbeitsmärkten zu beschreiben. Wesentliches Ingrediens dieser Modelle ist die Abkehr von der Annahme ständig preisgeräumter Märkte. Als Ursache für die Rationierung...

Over the last decade credit rationing has been regarded increasingly as the outcome of asymmetric Information. Profit maximization of the banks might lead to interest rates lower than the market equilibrium rate. Administering loans at a higher interest rate to the rationed customers will...

Not all markets are always characterized by immediate market clearing, for example due to a delayed adjustment of quantities and prices. Macroeconometric disequilbrium models proved to be a valuable tool in assessing the relevance of such phenomena on goods and labour markets. Asymmetric...