"In the context of the so-called Hartz reforms, the previous unemployment assistance and the social assistance for individuals who are in need but capable of work were combined into a uniform basic benefit for those seeking employment. After a brief description of the problems associated with...

"Low-wage employment has increased considerably in Germany in recent years due to the erosion of the collective bargaining system. At the same time the structure of the low-wage sector has changed. It has moved to the periphery of the labour market and career development prospects have...

"In theoretical trade models with variable markups and collective wage bargaining, export exposure may reduce the exporter wage premium. We test this prediction using linked German employer-employee data from 1996 to 2007. To separate the rent-sharing mechanism from assortative matching, we...

"In theoretical trade models with variable markups and collective wage bargaining, export exposure may reduce the exporter wage premium. We test this prediction using linked German employer-employee data from 1996 to 2007. To separate the rent-sharing mechanism from assortative matching, we...