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.
Work Visa Agreements between EU and Third Countries Could Reduce Asylum Applications
The ifo Institute proposes work visa agreements between the EU and safe third countries as a way to reduce the number of asylum applications and irregular immigration. “This would enable legal and controlled immigration. One reason the European asylum system is overloaded is the lack of opportunities to enter the EU legally. Especially for low-skilled people, the chances of obtaining work visas in Europe are vanishingly small,” says Panu Poutvaara, Director of the ifo Center for International Institutional Comparisons and Migration Research.
Business Climate of the Self-Employed in Germany improved somewhat
The business climate for solo self-employed and microenterprises in Germany improved somewhat in April. The “Jimdo-ifo Business Climate Index for the Self-Employed” rose to -13.8 points*, up from -15.6 points* in March. Dissatisfaction with current business has decreased slightly, as has skepticism regarding expectations for the next six months. The signal coming from service providers is particularly positive. Here, order backlogs are slowly stabilizing. “The self-employed are hoping that the order situation will ease,” ifo Expert Katrin Demmelhuber says.
European Cooperation Can Reduce Costs of Climate Action by EUR 248 Billion by 2050
Joint energy and climate action policy in the EU could save European countries EUR 248 billion between 2024 and 2050, with Germany alone saving EUR 66 billion. This is according to a study conducted by the ifo Institute in Munich on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Munich and Upper Bavaria to calculate the cost of making Europe climate neutral by 2050. “Having every country in Europe pursue energy climate action policy alone leads to huge additional costs. Joint climate action is always better than national climate action,” says Mathias Mier, ifo researcher and author of the study.
Business Climate in Germany’s Chemical Industry Improved
The business climate in Germany’s chemical industry improved in April. The index rose to -6.0 points, up from -10.1 points* in March. Companies assessed their current business situation at -16.0 points, which is slightly better than in March (-18 points*). Business expectations have brightened considerably – the indicator rose to +4.6 points in April, up from -1.9 points* in March. “The chemical industry is somewhat more confident about the coming months,” says industry expert Anna Wolf from the ifo Institute.
Educational Opportunities Differ Markedly between Germany’s Federal States
The educational opportunities of children and young people in Germany differ significantly between the federal states, finds a new ifo study. An unfavorable family background has the least negative impact on children in Berlin and Brandenburg. Here, it is about half as likely (Berlin: 53.8 percent; Brandenburg: 52.8 percent) that a child from a disadvantaged background will attend a university-track high school – or Gymnasium – as a child from a comfortable background. Nationwide, the figure is 44.6 percent. At the lower end are Saxony with 40.1 percent and Bavaria with 38.1 percent. A rate of 100 percent would imply equal opportunities. “When it comes to children’s educational opportunities in Germany, the decisive factors are their parents’ education and income. But just how decisive varies from state to state,” says Ludger Wößmann, Director of the ifo Center for the Economics of Education.
Half of Germany’s Residential Construction Companies Are Short on Orders
Residential construction in Germany is experiencing an order shortage. More than half the companies (55.2%) in this industry reported a lack of orders in April. In March, the figure was 56.2%. “Housebuilders are looking for signs of hope,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo, “but there’s no end to the crisis in sight.”
Lack of Orders Slows Down the German Economy
The order shortage in Germany has worsened and is an obstacle to the economy. In April, 39.5% of manufacturing companies reported a lack of orders, up from 36.9% in January. In the service sector, the proportion rose from 32.1% to 32.4%. “The lack of orders is hampering economic development in Germany,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. “Almost all industries are affected.”
Covid-19 Economic Assistance in Bavaria Reached All Affected Industrie
In Bavaria, Covid-19 bridging aid was received mainly by the many smaller companies with fewer than 50 employees and in those industries particularly affected by the pandemic. This is the finding of the ifo Institute’s initial evaluation of this aid as part of a study commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) for Munich and Upper Bavaria. The study assessed seven funding programs with payouts totaling EUR 11.2 billion resulting from more than 300,000 applications. Most of the money went to eateries and hotels, which were among the most affected by pandemic-related closures. These businesses received 40 percent of the total funding, or EUR 4.7 billion. Next came retailers with EUR 1.6 billion and the arts and culture industry with a total of EUR 1.3 billion.
Negative Effects in Northern and Eastern Europe Due to War in Ukraine
Economic experts in Northern and Eastern Europe are seeing the negative impact of the war in Ukraine on the political and economic situation in their countries particularly clearly. This is a finding of the Economic Experts Survey (EES) conducted by the ifo Institute and the Swiss Economic Policy Institute (IWP). “Since the outbreak of the war, respondents who mention the keywords ‘Russia,’ ‘Ukraine,’ ‘NATO’ or ‘War’ in their answers have a much more negative view of their country’s political and economic situation than the others,” says ifo researcher Tuuli Tähtinen.
Les économistes se montrent critiques à l’égard de l’Allemagne
Les professeurs d’économie attribuent à l’Allemagne une note de seulement 3,4 (sur une échelle de 1 à 6, 1 étant la meilleure note) dans une étude comparant les différentes économies du monde. C’est ce qui ressort du dernier panel d’économistes de l’Institut ifo. 38 % des personnes interrogées ont attribué la note 3, 20 % la note 2, 17 % la note 4 et 20% la note 5. « Ce mauvais résultat est inquiétant pour une nation industrielle comme l’Allemagne », estime Niklas Potrafke, directeur du Centre de recherches sur les finances publiques et l’économique politique de l’Institut ifo.
Germany as a Business Location Gets a Poor Report Card from Economists
In an international comparison of business locations, economics professors gave Germany a grade of just 3.4 (on a scale of 1 to 6, where 1 is the best score). This is according to the latest ifo Institute Economists Panel. A grade of 3 was awarded by 38% of respondents, 20% gave a 2, 17% a 4, and 20% a 5. “This poor result is quite worrying for Germany as an industrial nation,” says Niklas Potrafke, Director of the ifo Center for Public Finance and Political Economy.
Institut ifo : le moral des constructeurs automobiles allemands s’améliore
Le climat des affaires s’éclaircit de nouveau en avril dans le secteur automobile allemand. L'indicateur est passé de – 5,3* en mars à – 1,5 point en avril. C’est ce que révèlent les enquêtes conjoncturelles réalisées par l’Institut ifo. « Les constructeurs automobiles allemands estiment que leur situation actuelle s’est légèrement améliorée et sont surtout nettement moins pessimistes qu’en mars concernant les perspectives du secteur », explique Anita Wölfl, chercheuse au Centre ifo de l’organisation industrielle et des technologies nouvelles.
Sentiment in the German Automotive Industry Improves
The business climate in Germany’s automotive industry brightened again in April. The index rose to -1.5 points, up from -5.3 points* in March. “Companies in Germany’s automotive industry rate their current business situation as slightly better, but more importantly, their outlook once again turned much less pessimistic than in March,” says Anita Wölfl, a specialist at the ifo Center for Industrial Organization and New Technologies.
ifo Business Climate Eastern Germany Rises a Second Time in a Row (April 2024)
The ifo Business Climate Index Eastern Germany rose considerably in April. The barometer of business sentiment for the regional economy in eastern Germany climbed to 92.3 points, up from 90.2 points in March. The eastern German companies surveyed provided assessments of their business situation that were somewhat better than the previous month, and they raised their business expectations substantially. The Business Climate Index has now risen for the second time in succession. Signs indicate an upward trend.
Business Climate in German Retail Improves Again
The ifo Business Climate in retail brightened further in April. The index rose to -14.5 points, up from -17.5 points in March. Assessments of the current business situation improved significantly. Retailers’ business expectations also became somewhat more optimistic, but remain largely cautious. “Consumer-related businesses are likely to support the overall economy in 2024,” says ifo expert Patrick Höppner.
ifo Price Expectations Rise Slightly
In Germany, slightly more companies than in the previous month intend to raise their prices in April. The ifo price expectations rose a little to 15.1 points in April, up from 14.3 points in March. “Inflation is unlikely to fall any further in the coming months and is set to remain at just over 2%,” says Sascha Möhrle, economic expert at the ifo Institute.
ifo Employment Barometer Falls (April 2024)
Companies in Germany are proving more cautious in their personnel planning. The ifo Employment Barometer slipped to 96.0 points in April, down from 96.3 points in March. “A lack of orders is causing some companies to put the brakes on hiring,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. “But service providers in some industries, such as data processing and tourism, are taking people on.”
Institut ifo : l’industrie allemande anticipe une baisse de ses exportations
Le moral des exportateurs allemands s’est légèrement dégradé. L’indice ifo des prévisions en matière d’exportations a chuté, passant de – 1,2 point en mars à – 2,0 points en avril. « Le climat est plutôt morose », constate Klaus Wohlrabe, directeur des enquêtes de l’Institut ifo. « Les exportations manquent actuellement de dynamisme. Les perspectives de croissance largement positives de l’économie mondiale ne se reflètent pas encore dans des prises de commandes supplémentaires. »
German Export Expectations Fall (April 2024)
Sentiment in the German export industry has clouded over a little. The ifo Export Expectations fell to -2.0 points in April, down from -1.2 points in March. “The mood is somewhat subdued,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. “The export economy lacks momentum at present. While the global economy offers many good prospects for growth, these aren’t yet being reflected in additional orders.”
Hausse de l’indice ifo du climat des affaires (Avril 2024)
Le moral des dirigeants d’entreprise allemands s’est amélioré. En avril, l’indice ifo du climat des affaires est passé à 89,4 points, contre 87,9 points[1] au mois de mars. Il s’agit de la troisième amélioration consécutive. Les entreprises se déclarent plus satisfaites de la marche de leurs activités et se montrent plus optimistes pour l’avenir. La conjoncture se stabilise, notamment grâce au secteur des services.