Labour Markets, Human Resources and Social Policy
Skill Formation and Human Capital Investment
The project studied the formation of human capital at different stages of the life-cycle based on multidisciplinary research, including views from economics, econometrics, neurobiology, survey analysis, and motivational psychology. The project expanded the ZEW's European and international networks. Our approach may help families, schools, governments and firms to formulate policies to foster the human capital of the future. Research was organised around the following topics:
1. Theory, methods and data
Suitable models have been developed for cognitive and non-cognitive skill formation all along the life-cycle that allowed us to study the effect of private and public educational investments on the individual and social well-being. Informal as well as formal education was considered. The properties of the technology of skill formation, self-productivity and complementarity, was analysed. In cooperation with SOEP Berlin and ZI Mannheim, adequate cross-section as well as longitudinal data was utilized for microeconometric research on the determinants and economic consequences of cognitive and noncognitive skills and human capital investment over the life-cycle.
2. Early childhood and the family
This part was devoted to the first fundamental period of skill acquisition: early childhood. In this period, mothers, fathers, the family of origin at large, friends and preschool institutions provide crucial inputs for subsequent skill acquisition. We studied the amount and quality of educational investment made by parents, their interaction with the preschool institutions as well as early skill acquisition until the age of five. The impact of an integration of kindergarten and primary education on the skills development of children has been analysed.
3. Formal education from childhood to early adulthood
This area focussed on cognitive and non-cognitive skill formation in formal educational institutions. This includes all formal stages of education from the primary school to university as well as vocational secondary school and alternative types of post secondary education. We conducted studies on e.g. the effect of school systems on educational performance, on the quality of teachers evaluation methods, on the introduction of information technologies in developing countries, and on the transition to the Bachelor system in the EU countries.
4. Labour market outcomes and life-long learning
In this part, life -long learning and the long-term consequences of skill acquisition has been researched. Among others, the relationship between skill and health formation, labour market participation, hours of work, occupational choice (e.g. self-employment) tenure and wages and their distribution was investigated. Empirical research on the relationship between the heterogeneity of cognitive and noncognitive skills, economic growth and income inequality was conducted. Based on the empirical evidence, policies to foster human capital had been discussed.
Duration: 01.10.2007 - 31.12.2011
- Dr. Anja Achtziger, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, DE
- Prof. Dr. Peter Drewek, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, DE
- Prof. Dr. Winfried Pohlmeier, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, DE
- Prof. Tom Krebs, Ph.D., University of Mannheim, Mannheim, DE
- Reyn van Ewijk, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NL
Kosse, Fabian and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2012), Impatience among preschool children and their mothers, Economics Letters 115 (3), 493-495. Download
Kosfeld, Michael and Susanne Neckermann (2011), Getting more work for nothing? Symbolic Awards and Worker Performance, American Economic Journal: Microeconomics. Download
Pfeiffer, Friedhelm and Seiberlich Ruben (2011), Disconnected Young Adults in Germany: Initial Evidence, Schmollers Jahrbuch - Journal of Applied Social Science Studies 131 (2), 253-262.
Gebel, Michael and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2010), Educational Expansion and its Heterogeneous Returns for Wage Workers, Schmollers Jahrbuch - Journal of Applied Social Science Studies 130(1), 19-42.
Blomeyer, Dorothea , Manfred Laucht, Friedhelm Pfeiffer and Karsten Reuß (2010), Mutter-Kind-Interaktion im Säuglingsalter, Familienumgebung und Entwicklung früher kognitiver und nicht-kognitiver Fähigkeiten: eine prospektive Studie, DIW Viertelsjahreshefte für Wirtschaftsforschung 79(3), 11-26.
Bartling, Björn, Ernst Fehr, Barbara Fischer, Fabian Kosse, Michel Maréchal, Friedhelm Pfeiffer, Jürgen Schupp, C. Katharina Spieß and Gert G. Wagner (2010), Geduld von Vorschulkindern – Ergebnisse einer Experimentalstudie im Haushaltskontext von Kindern, Schmollers Jahrbuch - Journal of Applied Social Science Studies 130(3), 297- 323.
Beninger, Denis, Holger Bonin, Julia Horstschräer and Grit Mühler (2010), Wirkungen eines Betreuungsgeldes bei bedarfsgerechtem Ausbau frühkindlicher Kindertagesbetreuung: Eine Mikrosimulationsstudie, DIW-Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung 79 (3), 147-168.
Mühlenweg, Andrea and Patrick Puhani (2010), The Evolution of the School Entry Age Effect in a School Tracking System, Journal of Human Resources 45(2), 407-438.
Sprietsma, Maresa (2010), The effect of relative age in the first grade of primary school on long-term scholastic results: international comparative evidence using PISA 2003, Education Economics 18(1).
Mühlenweg, Andrea (2010), Young and Innocent - International evidence on age effects within grades on victimization in elementary school, Economics Letters 109(3), 157-160.
Aldashev, Alisher, Johannes Gernandt and Stephan L. Thomsen (2009), Language Usage, Participation, Employment and Earnings - Evidence for Foreigners in West Germany with Multiple Sources of Selection, Labour Economics 16, 330-341.
Blomeyer, Dorothea, Katja Coneus, Manfred Laucht and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2009), Initial Risk Matrix, Home Resources, Ability Development and Children's Achievement, Journal of the European Economic Association 7(2-3), 638-648.
Coneus, Katja, Kathrin Göggel and Grit Mühler (2009), Maternal Employment and Child Care Decision, Oxford Economic Papers 61, 172-188.
Pfeiffer, Friedhelm and Karsten Reuß (2008), Age-Dependent Skill Formation and Returns to Education, Labour Economics 15 (4), 631-646.
Eisenhauer, Philipp and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2008), Assessing Intergenerational Earnings Persistence Among German Workers, Journal of Labour Market Research 2&3, 119-137.
Pfeiffer, Friedhelm and Karsten Reuß (2008), Intra- und intergenerationale Umverteilungseffekte in der bundesdeutschen Alterssicherung auf Basis humankapitaltheoretischer Überlegungen, Deutsche Rentenversicherung 63 (1), 60-84.
Mühlenweg, Andrea (2008), Educational Effects of Alternative Secondary School Tracking Regimes in Germany, Schmollers Jahrbuch - Journal of Applied Social Science Studies 128(3), 351-379.
Mühlenweg, Andrea (2008), Ein erster bildungsökonomischer Überblick mit besten Referenzen, Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft 11(2), 327-332.
Gernandt, Johannes and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2007), Rising Wage Inequality in Germany, Journal of Economics and Statistics 227 (4), 358-380.
Borgloh, Sarah, Friedrich Heinemann, Alexander Kalb, Friedhelm Pfeiffer, Karsten Reuß and Berthold U. Wigger (2011), Staatliche Anreize für private Bildungsinvestitionen, ZEW Wirtschaftsanalysen, Bd. 99, Baden-Baden.
Pfeiffer, Friedhelm (2010), Entwicklung und Ungleichheit von Fähigkeiten: Anmerkungen aus ökonomischer Sicht, in: Heinz-Hermann Krüger, Ursula Rabe-Kleberg, Rolf-Torsten Kramer und Jürgen Bude, Bildungsungleichheit revisited. Bildung und soziale Ungleichheit vom Kindergarten bis zur Hochschule, Studien zur Schul- und Bildungsforschung Bd. 30, Wiesbaden, 25-44.
Gernandt, Johannes and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2009), Wage convergence and inequality after unification: (East) Germany in transition, in: Ravi Kanbur und Jan Svejnar, Labor Markets and Economic Development, 1. Aufl., Routledge Studies in Development Economics Bd. 73, London, 387-404.
Arntz, Melanie, Terry Gregory and Florian Lehmer (2011), Unequal Pay or Unequal Employment? What Drives the Skill-Composition of Labor Flows in Germany?, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 11-074, Mannheim. Download
Pfeiffer, Friedhelm and Karsten Reuß (2011), Human Capital Investment Strategies in Europe, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 11-033, Mannheim. Download
Pfeiffer, Friedhelm and Nico Johannes Schulz (2011), Gregariousness, Interactive Jobs and Wages, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 11-001, Mannheim. Download
Sprietsma, Maresa (2010), Explaining the Persisting Mathematics Test Score Gap Between Boys and Girls, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 10-101, Mannheim. Download
Horstschräer, Julia and Grit Mühler (2010), School Entrance Recommendation: A Question of Age or Development?, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 10-047, Mannheim. Download
Mühlenweg, Andrea (2010), Teaching, Organization, and Personal Problems - Evidence from Reforming Tertiary Education in Germany, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 10-040, Mannheim. Download
Horstschräer, Julia and Maresa Sprietsma (2010), The Effects of the Bologna Process on College Enrollment and Drop-out Rates, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 10-018, Mannheim. Download
Sprietsma, Maresa (2009), Discrimination in Grading? Experimental Evidence from Primary School, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 09-074, Mannheim. Download
Pfeiffer, Friedhelm and Ruben R. Seiberlich (2009), A Socio-economic Analysis of Youth Disconnectedness, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 09-070, Mannheim. Download
Bartling, Bjoern, Ernst Fehr, Barbara Fischer, Fabian Kosse, Michel Maréchal, Friedhelm Pfeiffer, Daniel Schunk, Juergen Schupp, C. Katharina Spieß and Gert G. Wagner (2009), Geduld von Vorschulkindern - Ergebnisse einer Experimentalstudie im Haushaltskontext von Kindern, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 09-069, Mannheim. Download
Coneus, Katja and Maresa Sprietsma (2009), Intergenerational Transmission of Human Capital in Early Childhood, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 09-038, Mannheim. Download
Blomeyer, Dorothea, Katja Coneus, Manfred Laucht and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2008), Initial Risk Matrix, Home Resources, Ability Development and Children's Achievement, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 08-100, Mannheim. Download
Blomeyer, Dorothea, Katja Coneus, Manfred Laucht and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2008), Self-Productivity and Complementarities in Human Development: Evidence from MARS, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 08-067, Mannheim. Download
Gernandt, Johannes and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2008), Wage Convergence and Inequality after Unification: (East) Germany in Transition, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 08-022, Mannheim. Download
Landvoigt, Tim, Grit Mühler and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2007), Duration and Intensity of Kindergarten Attendance and Secondary School Track Choice, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 07-051, Mannheim. Download
Mühler, Grit, Michael Beckmann and Bernd Schauenberg (2007), The Returns to Continuous Training in Germany: New Evidence from Propensity Score Matching Estimators, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 07-048, Mannheim., erschienen in: Review of Managerial Science 1(3): 209-235 Download
Sprietsma, Maresa (2007), Computers as Pedagogical Tools in Brazil: A Pseudo-panel Analysis, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 07-040, Mannheim. Download
Göggel, Kathrin (2007), Sinkende Bildungsrenditen durch Bildungsreformen? Evidenz aus Mikrozensus und SOEP, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 07-017, Mannheim. Download
Gebel, Michael and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2007), Educational Expansion and its Heterogeneous Returns for Wage Workers, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 07-010, Mannheim. Download
