Team
The people behind the ifo Institute offer the very high level of expertise and experience needed to fulfill our research and service mandate.
ifo Researcher Potrafke Critical of Germany’s Pension Package
ifo researcher Niklas Potrafke has criticized the pension package recently adopted by the German government. “Freezing the pension level at 48 percent and suspending the sustainability factor completely ignores the realities in Germany. Demographic change demands a different pension policy. The introduction of the sustainability factor 20 years ago marked a cautious start to taking account of demographic trends in the pension system. In Germany, fewer and fewer young people have to look after an increasing number of older people. With the population structure developing in this way, pensions will have to rise much more slowly,” Potrafke said in Munich on Wednesday.
Le chercheur de l'ifo Peichl pour plus d'égalité des chances entre les femmes et les hommes en Allemagne
Andreas Peichl, chercheur à l’Institut ifo, s'est prononcé en faveur d'une plus grande égalité des chances entre hommes et femmes en Allemagne. Il y a encore beaucoup à faire, surtout en ce qui concerne la conciliation de la vie professionnelle et familiale ", écrit-il avec Julia Schricker, chercheuse de l'ifo, dans un essai pour l'ifo Schnelldienst 4/2019 : " La nouvelle loi sur la transparence salariale en Allemagne introduite dans le but d'assurer plus de justice entre hommes et femmes ne change rien à cela, comme le montrent Peichl et sa co-auteure dans cet essai.
Energy Crisis: Inflation, Recession, Welfare Loss
The crisis on the gas markets is having a severe impact on the German economy. Soaring gas prices are drastically increasing energy costs, leading to a massive reduction of the purchasing power. Despite a decline in the second half of the year, gross domestic product is expected to expand by 1.4 percent this year. For the coming year, the institutes expect a contraction by 0.4 percent, followed by an increase of 1.9 percent in 2024.
EconPol Europe: Emigration Can Lead to More Votes for Right-Wing Parties in Poland
Emigration from Poland can have a strong impact on elections, according to a new study in the journal EconPol Forum. Higher emigration causes a significant increase in right-wing votes: a 1 percent increase in the number of emigrants increases the share of right-wing votes by 0.25 percent. The opposite is true for the left-wing parties: a 1 percent increase in the number of emigrants causes a 0.57 percent decline in left-wing parties’ share of the vote. “This matters for the parliamentary election in Poland on October 15, since voting by mail from abroad has been abolished by the government,” says ifo migration researcher Yvonne Giesing.
Economics Professors Criticize Supplementary Income of Members of the German Bundestag
Many German economists believe that the supplementary income of members of the Bundestag poses a problem for the quality of the parliamentarians’ work; 68 percent of participants in the ifo and FAZ Economists Panel selected this answer. In individual responses, the economics professors at German-speaking universities pointed out that supplementary income could lead to conflicts of interest. At the same time, 62 percent of those surveyed considered the parliamentarians’ salary of around EUR 10,000 per month to be appropriate. This will decrease by 0.7 percent on July 1.
ifo Institut begrüßt geplante steuerliche Förderung von Forschung
Das ifo Institut begrüßt die geplante steuerliche Förderung von Forschung in Unternehmen. „Der Erfolg oder Misserfolg der Regelung wird maßgeblich von ihrer Ausgestaltung abhängen.
L’indice ifo du climat des affaires enregistre une légère hausse (Février 2024)
Le moral des dirigeants allemands s’est légèrement amélioré, l’indice ifo du climat des affaires étant passé à 85,5 points, contre 85,2 points en janvier. Cette embellie est due à des attentes un peu moins pessimistes alors que l’évaluation de la situation actuelle reste inchangée. Dans ce domaine, le nombre de réponses positives et négatives est à peu près le même. La conjoncture se stabilise à un faible niveau.
ifo Business Climate Eastern Germany: Upward Trend Unbroken (September 2020)
Sentiment among eastern German companies continued to improve in September. The ifo Business Climate Index for the entire regional economy in eastern Germany rose from 94.5 points to 95.8 points. Both the assessments of the current situation and the business expectations of the eastern German companies surveyed increased, even if they are not yet back up to pre-crisis levels.
Noticeable Drop in Demand for Transport and Logistics Services in Germany
Reduced demand for transport capacity is causing concern among German transport and logistics companies, according to data from the latest ifo Institute survey. “The – in some cases very significant – price increases for many transport and logistics services have led to the recent drop in demand,” says ifo industry expert Patrick Höppner. What’s more, the currently subdued development of the economy as a whole is putting additional strain on the demand for transport services – especially in the freight transport sector. In the second quarter of 2023, 35.2 percent of transport and logistics companies reported insufficient demand, up from 33.8 percent in the first quarter.
ifo Business Climate Eastern Germany Rises Once More (February 2021)
Sentiment among companies in eastern Germany improved markedly in February. The ifo Business Climate Index for the entire regional economy rose to 90.4 points from 88.9 points in January. The survey participants’ assessments of the current situation and their expectations alike were better than in January. Of the two, the improvement in their assessments of the current situation was more pronounced.
L'Institut ifo ramène ses prévisions de croissance à une fourchette de 2,2 à 3,1 %
L'invasion russe en Ukraine a un impact négatif sur la croissance économique et accélère la hausse de l'inflation en Allemagne. « Nous n'attendons plus cette année qu'une croissance de 2,2 % à 3,1 % », déclare Timo Wollmershäuser, directeur des études conjoncturelles de l'Institut ifo. Au mois de décembre, l'Institut ifo avait encore prédit une croissance de 3,7 % pour l'année 2022. L'inflation devrait, quant à elle, augmenter plus rapidement que prévu, l'Institut ifo tablant désormais sur une hausse de 5,1 à 6,1 % au lieu de 3,3 % seulement, comme annoncé en décembre dernier.
ifo Business Climate Index Rises Strongly (June 2020)
Sentiment among German companies has brightened further. The ifo Business Climate Index rose from 79.7 points (seasonally adjusted) in May to 86.2 points in June. This is the strongest increase ever recorded. Companies’ assessments of their current situation were somewhat better. Moreover, their expectations leaped higher. German business sees light at the end of the tunnel.
Income Inequality in Germany Increased between 1998 and 2016 Especially within Cities and Municipalities, Not across Regions
Income inequality has increased in Germany between 1998 and 2016, according to tax data analyzed by the ifo Institute and EconPol Europe. This analysis shows that in 1998, the richest 10 percent of taxpayers earned 33.8 percent of total income. In 2016, that figure rose to 37.2 percent.
ifo Business Climate Index Eastern Germany Falls Further (November 2021)
Sentiment among companies in eastern Germany deteriorated noticeably in November. The ifo Business Climate Index for the entire regional economy continued to slide, falling to 97.4 points, down from 98.7 points in October. Participating companies reported a marked decline in their assessments of the current situation. At the same time, their expectations dropped somewhat compared to the previous month.
ifo President Fuest: The financial Transaction Tax Is a Step in the Wrong Direction
ifo President Clemens Fuest has criticized the planned financial transaction tax. “This tax is a perfect example of a policy that claims to solve problems, but actually exacerbates them,” he said in Munich. “Many people believe that it enables the state to fight harmful speculation, penalizing those who lined their pockets before the financial crisis at the expense of the general public. In fact, these goals call for other instruments.”
ifo Institute: German Business Climate in Food Retail Significantly Improved
The ifo Business Climate Index for the food retail sector rose in March, making it one of the very few sectors experiencing positive development. This is the result of a preliminary evaluation of the index. Assessments of the current situation rose to their highest level since German reunification.
ifo Employment Barometer Rises (November 2022)
Companies in Germany are looking to hire more staff. The ifo Employment Barometer rose to 99.6 points in November, up from 97.8 points in October. Against the backdrop of decreasing uncertainty, the number of employees in Germany could continue to rise. However, the shortage of skilled workers will remain a lasting problem.
Major Shortage of Skilled Workers in Germany’s Event Industry
Germany’s event industry is urgently looking for more skilled workers, finds the latest ifo Institute survey. In October, 40% of event organizers reported having difficulties finding suitable staff, down from 45% in July. In summer 2022, the figure was 64%. “Following the slew of cancelations during the coronavirus pandemic, many companies couldn’t afford to keep people on,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. As a result, some festival organizers found it hard this summer to find enough security staff.
ifo Export Expectations for Germany Fell (August 2021)
Sentiment among German exporters has markedly deteriorated. ifo Export Expectations in manufacturing slumped to 16.6 points in August, down from 23.1 points in July (seasonally adjusted). The German export industry is losing momentum.
ifo President Fuest Praises Property Tax Compromise
The ifo President Clemens Fuest has praised the compromise on property tax in Germany. “The new model is a very good solution. Property tax is better suited than most other taxes when it comes to making decentralized decisions on tax bases and rates,” he said in Munich. “Land is immobile. Fears that wealthy Laender will position themselves as low-tax states and that Laender with less financial strength will fall behind in federal competition are unfounded. The tax rates are set at the local level anyway.”