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    <title>EconStor Community: University of Augsburg, Institute for Economics</title>
    <link>https://hdl.handle.net/10419/189</link>
    <description>University of Augsburg, Institute for Economics</description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:20:34 GMT</pubDate>
    <dc:date>2026-04-29T05:20:34Z</dc:date>
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      <title>A "marginal" tale of two Germanies: Accounting for the systemic divide</title>
      <link>https://hdl.handle.net/10419/318510</link>
      <description>Title: A "marginal" tale of two Germanies: Accounting for the systemic divide
Authors: Fehrle, Daniel; Konysev, Vasilij
Abstract: The comparative economic performance between the former socialist German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the capitalist Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) remains inconclusive due to valuation problems. We address these problems by applying wedge-growth accounting to a newly compiled dataset. More precisely, we compare the allocation efficiency using wedges between marginal utility and productivity, as well as Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth. Wedges in marginal utility account for binding quantity constraints in GDR's goods and FRG's labor market. We analyze the resulting unitless wedges and swap them in an equivalent growth model for the two Germanies to quantify their impact on output and economic welfare. The analysis reveals that the consequences of GDR's rationing were multiple times more drastic than FRG's unemployment. An observed faster output growth in the GDR stems from excessive labor input-depressing consumption-based welfare by a fourth-rather than from physical capital or TFP. Instead, GDR's economic activity fell comparatively ten years further behind due to lower TFP growth. Lastly, persistent, substantial net inflows increase GDR's welfare by 25 %.</description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>To converge or not to converge: Accounting for the German reunification</title>
      <link>https://hdl.handle.net/10419/318511</link>
      <description>Title: To converge or not to converge: Accounting for the German reunification
Authors: Fehrle, Daniel; Konysev, Vasilij
Abstract: German reunification in 1990 marked the first sudden integration of a socialist and capitalist economy. Despite East Germany's (EG) economic catch-up with West Ger- many (WG), the integration remains unfinished, as indicated by per capita output in EG still being about one-third lower. To study this unfinished regional convergence, we apply wedge-growth accounting using a human capital-augmented, two-sector, two-region model, incorporating labor supply constraints to capture key qualitative differences between EG and WG. Our findings show that sectoral labor and capital wedges are similar within regions and have significantly converged between regions, with EG initially overusing inputs. While productivity in the nontradable goods sector has fully converged, the tradable sector in EG remains less productive than in WG. Counterfactual analysis suggests that this productivity gap, together with persistent net inflows to EG, explains EG's lower economic activity. However, reducing the in- flows would result in significant welfare losses in EG. Furthermore, we account for the reunification event, identifying a substantial productivity catch-up in EG between 1989 and 1991. Our findings offer clear policy insights, highlighting the trade-offs between economic activity and fiscal transfers.</description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">https://hdl.handle.net/10419/318511</guid>
      <dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
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      <title>Early child care, maternal labor supply, and gender equality: A randomized controlled trial</title>
      <link>https://hdl.handle.net/10419/283138.2</link>
      <description>Title: Early child care, maternal labor supply, and gender equality: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Hermes, Henning; Krauß, Marina; Lergetporer, Philipp; Peter, Frauke; Wiederhold, Simon
Abstract: We provide experimental evidence that enabling access to universal early child care increases maternallabor supply and promotes gender equality among families with lower socioeconomic status (SES). Ourintervention offers information and customized help with child care applications, leading to a boost inchild care enrollment among lower-SES families. 18 months after the intervention, we find substantialincreases in maternal full-time employment (+160%), maternal earnings (+22%), and household income(+10%). Intriguingly, the positive employment effects are not only driven by extended hours at child carecenters, but also by an increase in care hours by fathers. Gender equality also benefits more broadly frombetter access to child care: The treatment improves a gender equality index that combines informationon intra-household division of working hours, care hours, and earnings by 40% of a standard deviation,with significant increases in each dimension. For higher-SES families, we consistently observe negligible,insignificant treatment effects.</description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">https://hdl.handle.net/10419/283138.2</guid>
      <dc:date>2024-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>The fiscal and intergenerational burdens of brakes and subsidies for energy prices</title>
      <link>https://hdl.handle.net/10419/283139</link>
      <description>Title: The fiscal and intergenerational burdens of brakes and subsidies for energy prices
Authors: Scharrer, Christian; Huber, Johannes
Abstract: We study the effects of different financing rules for untargeted energy price brakes and subsidies on intergenerational welfare in a large-scale overlapping generations model. The results indicate that, in comparison to a laissez-faire solution without any government interventions, debt-financed implementations of such measures are very detrimental for young and future generations. However, the taxation of windfall profits can significantly contribute to reduce the economic burdens of these generations, whereas the positive effects on older generations are much less pronounced.</description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">https://hdl.handle.net/10419/283139</guid>
      <dc:date>2023-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
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