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  1. Questions & Answers // 11.07.2013

    Youth Unemployment in the EU - The European Youth Guarantee is Unlikely to Be Effective

    The European Union has decided to spend billions of euros to combat youth unemployment, a problem that is particularly acute in many Southern European countries. In this interview, Prof. Dr. Holger Bonin, a…
  2. Questions & Answers // 10.06.2013

    The Results of the Joint Economic Forecast for Spring 2013 - Positive Signals for the German Economy

    Thanks to an improved situation on financial markets and easing global economic headwinds, conditions are favourable for the German economy. This is the conclusion of the latest Joint Economic Forecast…
  3. Questions & Answers // 30.04.2013

    University Studies or Vocational Training – What Returns to Education Can Be Expected? Education pays

    Each additional year of school, vocational training, or university education pays off, leading on average to hourly earnings six per cent higher in one's later professional life. PD Dr. Friedhelm Pfeiffer, an…
  4. Questions & Answers // 03.04.2013

    On the Giant U.S. Airline Merger - How a Marriage in the Skies Will Effect Competition in the Air Transportation Sector

    When American Airlines ties the knot with US Airways, it will become the largest passenger air carrier in the world. Assistant Professor Kai Hüschelrath, a competition economist at ZEW, explains the…
  5. Questions & Answers // 07.03.2013

    Examining German Labour Market Reforms - The German "Mini-Job" Programme Should be Eliminated

    Since the start of 2013, marginal employees in Germany with so-called "mini-jobs" – i.e. positions that are not subject to social insurance contributions and income taxation – may earn an additional 50 euros…
  6. Questions & Answers // 05.02.2013

    Are we Achieving a Turnaround in Energy Policy? Praise for Renewable Energy - Criticism About Security of Supply

    In mid-December, the Expert Commission for the "Energy of the Future" Monitoring Process issued its first position statement regarding the federal government’s annual status report on German renewable energy…
  7. Questions & Answers // 13.12.2012

    What Does the Future Hold for German Green Power Subsidies? For the Foreseeable Future, Renewable Energy Will not Be Able to Manage Without Subsidies

    Next year, German consumers will have to dig much deeper into their pockets to support green electricity. A surcharge on electricity consumption used to finance subsidies, the so-called EEG levy, will jump from…
  8. Questions & Answers // 05.11.2012

    The Results of the Autumn 2012 Joint Economic Forecast - Risks for the German Economy

    Despite the strains of the European debt crisis, Germany's economy has remained fairly stable relative to other eurozone countries. This is the conclusion of the latest Joint Economic Forecast (or…
  9. Questions & Answers // 11.10.2012

    Is Excessive Patent Protection a Problem for the Economy? Patents Should Only Be Granted When They Ensure Technological Progress

    In many areas of technology, the road to new products leads through a dense thicket of existing patents that threatens to hinder innovation. A new ZEW study has found that patent rights are often distributed…