Neue Publikation Prof. Dr. Hans-Dieter Gerner

Bellmann, Lutz; Gerner, Hans-Dieter; Upward, Richard (2015): The response of German Establishments to the 2008-2009 economic crisis. In: P. Commendatore, S. Kayam & I. Kubin (Hrsg.), Complexity and geographical economics. Topics and tools, (Dynamic modeling and econometrics in economics and finance), Heidelberg: Springer, S. 165-207.

Abstract: The global economic and financial crisis which began in 2008 had very different effects on the labour markets of EU economies. In particular, unemployment rose far more in some countries than in others, even after conditioning on the fall in GDP. Thus, in the words of the OECD Employment Outlook (2012), some labour markets might be described as more "resilient" than others in the face of shocks. In this chapter we propose a simple descriptive methodology which relates output shocks and job flows to hires and separations. This methodology sheds light on many of the proposed explanations for the resilience of German establishments to the crisis, in particular the role of various institutional arrangements intended to promote workplace flexibility, such as short-time-work and working time accounts. The increasing availability of detailed linked employer-employee data will enable this methodology to be applied consistently across countries. The chapter therefore serves to open up a research agenda which compares the behaviour of firms' hiring and firing policies across countries. 

Andrews, Martyn; Gerner, Hans-Dieter; Schank, Thorsten; Upward, Richard (2015): More hours, more jobs? * the employment effects of longer working hours. In: Oxford Economic Papers, Vol. 67, No. 2, S. 245–268.

Abstract: Increases in standard hours of work have been a contentious policy issue in Germany. Whilst this might directly lead to a substitution of workers by hours, there may also be a positive employment effect due to reduced costs. Moreover, the response of firms may differ between firms that offer overtime and those that do not. For a panel of German plants (2001 - 2006) drawn from the IAB Establishment Panel, we are the first to analyse the effect of increased standard hours on employment. Using difference-in-difference methods we find that, consistent with theory, overtime plants showed a significant positive employment response, whilst for standard-time plants there is no difference between plants that increased standard hours and those that did not. There is clear evidence of wage concession in all treated plants.