ifo Media Center
The ifo Institute invites you to participate in the discussion of interesting economic topics via the Internet. In our ifo Media Center a whole series of remarkable events are available and can be viewed in full length. We also record selected speeches and presentations given by employees or at events and make them available in our Media Center.
Working from Home and Digitalization in Light of the Coronavirus (2nd Quarter 2020)
Covid-19 has the world firmly in its grasp. In the second quarter of 2020, on behalf of Randstad Germany, the ifo Institute surveyed just under 800 German HR managers to find out what effect the virus is having on companies and their work processes.
ifo Business Climate Eastern Germany: Economy on the Upswing (July 2020)
The eastern German economy continued to recover in July 2020. The ifo Business Climate Index for the entire regional economy in eastern Germany climbed from 88.8 points to 92.5 points. Survey participants’ assessments of the current situation and their business expectations both rose strongly compared to the previous month.
ifo Employment Barometer Rises (July 2020)
German companies are planning to lay off less staff. The ifo Employment Barometer climbed to 93.2 points in July after measuring 92.3 points in June. But the labor market is not out of the woods yet. Layoffs are still planned in many places, especially in industry. However, pessimism has declined noticeably in the last two months.
ifo Export Expectations Rise (July 2020)
Cautious optimism is spreading among German exporters. The ifo Export Expectations for manufacturing rose in July from minus 2.2 points to plus 6.9 points. German exports are benefiting from the economic recovery in many countries.
ifo Business Climate Index Climbs Higher (July 2020)
Sentiment among German companies has improved further. The ifo Business Climate Index rose from 86.3 points (seasonally adjusted) in June to 90.5 points in July. This is the third rise in a row. Companies were notably more satisfied with their current business situation. They are also carefully optimistic about the coming months. The German economy is recovering step by step.
Do We Need State Intervention in the Meat Market?
The coronavirus pandemic has drawn attention to abuses in the meat industry. An intensive debate is going on in politics and society concerning animal welfare, worker protection, and the meat industry’s impact on the climate and the environment. State intervention is either vehemently demanded or categorically rejected, depending on the point of view. This explains why the 30th ifo and FAZ Economists Panel is focused on the meat industry. A total of 123 economists took part in the survey.
ifo Economic Forecast for Eastern Germany and Saxony Summer 2020: Eastern German Economy in Coronavirus Recession
The ifo Institute expects economic output in eastern Germany for the current year to slump by 5.9 percent. In Saxony, the decline is likely to be even more pronounced at minus 6.4 percent, owing to the larger proportion of industry there. However, the fall in gross domestic product will be somewhat less severe than in Germany as a whole (minus 6.7 percent). In the coming year, economic growth in eastern Germany and Saxony is likely to see a strong recovery, with growth rates of 5.8 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively (Germany: 6.4 percent), and will return to its pre-crisis level before the end of the year.
ifo Business Climate Saxony Improves (June 2020)
The ifo Business Climate Index for Saxony saw a sharp rise in June from 81.8 to 88.3 points. It seems that the decline of the past few months is over. Sentiment brightened mainly thanks to the major improvement in business expectations. However, the survey participants’ assessments of their current situation fell slightly compared to the previous month.
ifo Economic Forecast Summer 2020: German Economy Heads Back Up
The coronavirus pandemic and the measures to contain it have plunged the German economy into what is by far the deepest recession in its post-war history. Due to the low production of goods and services during the shutdown, growth rates should be strong at 6.9% and 3.8% in the third and fourth quarters. Nevertheless, economic output is expected to be 6.7% lower on average this year than in 2019. The recovery will continue next year. GDP is expected to grow by 6.4% on average over the year.
ifo Business Climate Eastern Germany: On Track for Recovery (June 2020)
In June 2020, there were stronger signs of recovery in the eastern German economy following the major slump in spring. The ifo Business Climate Index for the entire regional economy in eastern Germany jumped from 81.7 to 88.6 points. This was mainly attributable to the continuation of the strong upward trend in the survey participants’ expectations that began in the previous month. Meanwhile, assessments of the current situation by the eastern German survey participants are also on their way up again.
ifo Employment Barometer Rises Strongly (June 2020)
German companies are no longer quite so pessimistic about employment. The ifo Employment Barometer climbed to 92.3 points in June after measuring 88.3 points in May. And while companies are still making redundancies, the trend was somewhat less negative than in the previous months.
ifo Export Expectations Rise Considerably (June 2020)
Sentiment among German exporters has recovered markedly. In June, the ifo Export Expectations for manufacturing rose from minus 26.7 points to minus 2.3 points - an unprecedented rise within one month. German industry is embarking on the road to recovery.
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.
Julius Berger
Junior Economist and Doctoral Student
Dr. Anna Kerkhof
Economist
Prof. Dr. Lisandra Flach
Director of the ifo Center for International Economics
Mirely Kollmannsberger
Team Assistant
First Glimmer of Hope for Saxony’s Economy (May 2020)
The ifo Business Climate Index for Saxony rose in May from 78.0 to 81.6 points, representing the first glimmer of hope for the state’s economy. The improvement registered on the sentiment barometer was driven by the strong upswing in business expectations; the survey participants’ assessments of their current situation once again declined somewhat. However, both sub-indices remain deep in unfavorable territory.
Coronavirus Crisis: Economists Evaluate Shifted Priorities in Economic Policy Responses
The coronavirus pandemic is having a huge impact on the economy. How bad the economic consequences will be is not foreseeable at this point in time. After initial ad hoc reactions by governments and central banks, fiscal policy priorities are shifting toward economic stimulus packages. The aim of the measures is to enable rapid economic recovery. The 29th ifo and FAZ Economists Panel focuses on the economic policy measures in Germany and at the European level. A total of 120 economists took part in the survey.
ifo Economic Forecast 2020 Update: Economic Contraction of 6.6 Percent in Germany Most Likely (28.5.2020)
The German economy will probably shrink by 6.6 percent this year and then grow from this low level by 10.2 percent next year, according to the updated ifo Economic Forecast for 2020/2021. “This is based on our evaluation of the ifo survey conducted among companies in May. On average, participants consider it most likely that their own business situation will return to normal in nine months,” says Timo Wollmershaeuser, Head of Forecasts at ifo.
