This paper examines the sustainability of weight loss achieved through cash rewards and, for the first time, the potential of monetary incentives to prevent weight cycling. In a three period randomized controlled trial, about 700 obese persons were assigned to two treatment groups, which were...

In 2003 the Government of Ghana established a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to improve health care access for Ghanaians and eventually replace the cash and-carry system. This study evaluates the NHIS to determine whether it is fulfilling its purpose in the context of the Millennium...

Despite massive digitization efforts, the German economy has experienced a marked slowdown in its productivity growth. This paper analyzes the reasons behind this disconcerting development. A major factor is the turnaround of the labor market that commenced around 2005. The successful...

The German economy is in diffi cult waters. Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, there has been no end to the challenges posed by interruptions in production and supply problems. Despite the need for crisis management, politicians have pledged not to lose sight of environmental...

Der starke Anstieg der Energiepreise, der bereits im Jahr 2021 begann, und der russische Angriff auf die Ukraine im Februar 2022 haben die Sicherheit der Energieversorgung Europas in den öffentlichen und politischen Fokus gerückt. Dieser Beitrag quantifiziert vor diesem Hintergrund die...

Angesichts einer anhaltend hohen Arbeitslosigkeit setzt Deutschland beträchtliche finanzielle Mittel für aktive Arbeitsmarktpolitik ein. Dies kontrastiert mit einem geringen Stand an überprüfbaren Wissen über die Wirksamkeit und die Kosteneffizienz der einzelnen Maßnahmen. Die Defizite...

The accuracy of macroeconomic forecast depends on various factors, most importantly the mix of analytical methods used by the individual forecasters, the way that their personal experience is shaping their identification strategies, but also their efficiency in translating new information into...

This paper studies the internationalization behaviour of French companies, using more than 330.000 observations for three two-year intervals. We analyze the role of productivity, organisational and ownership structure, and of financial characteristics for the decision to enter into and exit from...

There is a consensus in the international community that rural electrification and, in particular, the productive use of electricity contributes to poverty alleviation. At the same time, efforts to evaluate the impacts of development projects have increased substantially. This paper provides a...

Compulsory military service typically drafts young men when they are at the height of their learning ability. Thus, it can be expected to depress the demand for higher education since skill atrophy and the delayed entry into the civilian labor market reduce the returns to human-capital...