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on Microeconomic European Issues |
| By: | Bertoletti Alice (European Commission - JRC) |
| Abstract: | This report examines the factors influencing graduate employability in Europe, with a particular focus on the role of higher education institutions (HEIs). The empirical analysis combines data from the Eurograduate Pilot Survey 2018 and the European Tertiary Education Register (ETER), covering seven European countries and two graduate cohorts (one and five years post-graduation). The study assesses three key employment outcomes: employment status, salary, and skill-job match. Through multilevel analysis and clustering methods, the report explores how HEIs contribute to variations in these outcomes, considering factors such as size, funding, and research activity. The findings emphasise the significance of HEI characteristics in shaping graduate success, providing valuable insights for policymakers, universities, and students in a rapidly changing labour market. |
| Date: | 2025–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc140261 |
| By: | Conti, Laura (Bank of Italy); Francesconi, Marco (University of Essex); Papini, Giulio (Bank of Italy); Serafinelli, Michel (King's College London) |
| Abstract: | This paper documents how the local labor market (LLM) responds to a change in touristic attractiveness. Leveraging largely underutilized data from several sources, we exploit a unique classification of Italian localities based on their main touristic assets and aggregate trends in foreign tourists' choices in a shift-share research design. Looking at all LLMs, we find a strong positive relationship between changes in attractiveness and changes in the local tourism-related economic activity, with a positive impact on tourism expenditure and tourism employment, but no effect on total employment. In high-unemployment LLMs, however, we find evidence of sizable total employment effects and large indirect effects generated through industries related to tourism and firms in the nontradable sector. We observe no effects on wage growth. We discuss our results in the context of the current policy debate on the role of tourism in the development of the local economy. |
| Keywords: | tourism, job growth, unemployment, local spillovers, heterogeneity |
| JEL: | J21 R11 R12 R23 Z30 |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17933 |
| By: | Felix Degenhardt (University of Potsdam, CEPA, BSoE); Jan Sebastian Nimczik (ESMT Berlin, RFBerlin, IAB, IZA) |
| Abstract: | We examine whether gig jobs in online food delivery (OFD) are a stepping stone for refugees entering the Austrian labor market. Our identification strategy combines the quasi-random assignment of refugees to Austrian regions with the expansion of gig firms across the country. The local availability of OFD jobs at the time of access to the labor market initially accelerates job finding among refugees. Subsequently, however, gig workers remain in low-paid, unstable jobs with low career prospects, while the employment rate of refugees without gig opportunities catches up. The local availability of gig jobs negatively affects human capital investments and job search behavior, even among refugees outside the gig economy. |
| Keywords: | gig work, refugees, employment restrictions, labor market integration |
| JEL: | J15 J61 J81 |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pot:cepadp:89 |
| By: | Elisa Brini (Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti", Universita' di Firenze); Raffaele Guetto (Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti", Universita' di Firenze); Daniele Vignoli (Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti", Universita' di Firenze) |
| Abstract: | Traditional economic theories link male income to higher fertility and female income to increased opportunity costs. However, shifting gender roles and socio-economic changes challenge these assumptions, with evidence suggesting rising income prerequisites of parenthood in high-income countries. This research note examines the role of income in first childbirth for men and women from 2006 to 2020 across 16 Western European countries based on longitudinal data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions and discrete-time logistic regressions. Results show that higher income consistently increases the transition to parenthood in all countries, with stronger effects for women. Over time, income has become a stronger predictor of parenthood. Widening fertility differentials across income groups are primarily driven by declining first-birth probabilities among lower-income men and women, supporting the hypothesis of increasing income prerequisites of parenthood. In four countries, the positive income effect for men weakens, which we interpret as a signal of changing gender roles. In one country, widening fertility differentials are driven by increasing fertility among high-income women, consistent with the argument of declining opportunity costs. Overall, findings suggest that the income prerequisites of parenthood have risen in high-income countries, strongly contributing to increasing income inequalities in fertility. |
| Keywords: | Fertility, Income, Gender roles, Opportunity costs, EU-SILC. |
| JEL: | J13 J16 J22 D31 |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fir:econom:wp2025_05 |
| By: | Lorena M. D’Agostino (University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy.); Rosina Moreno (AQR-IREA, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.); Damián Tojeiro-Rivero (ESADE-University Ramon Llull, Spain.) |
| Abstract: | Taking the long-established evidence on knowledge spillovers that states that part of the new created knowledge spills over to other firms mostly located in the physical proximity, we aim at providing evidence on the role of green knowledge spillovers on firms’ innovation. We posit that in addition to internal factors, firm innovation is determined by external regional factors, among which we specifically focus on the spillovers generated by environmental EU-funded research at the regional level. The results indicate that the presence of partners engaged in EU-environmental projects in a region has a positive and significant effect on process innovation. |
| Keywords: | innovation; environment; EU-funded research; Framework Programme; region; firm. JEL classification: R11, O31, O44. |
| Date: | 2024–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ira:wpaper:202423 |
| By: | Virginia Sondergeld; Katharina Wrohlich |
| Abstract: | In the annual DIW Women Executives Barometer, we document the share of women on the executive and supervisory boards of the largest companies in Germany. We separately analyse different groups of companies, among which there are the 200 companies with the highest turnover in Germany outside the financial sector (top 200 companies), all companies listed in the German stock index DAX (DAX companies) as well as the four DAX subgroups (DAX-30/40, MDAX, SDAX and TecDax), all companies with federal participation, the 100 largest banks and the 60 largest insurance companies. Moreover, we separately document the share of women on the executive and supervisory boards for companies that have to comply to the gender quota for supervisory boards (since 2016) and the minimum participation requirement for executive boards (since 2022). |
| Keywords: | Women managers, Share of women, Executive board, Labor and Employment, Supervisory board, Economics, Gender |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwddc:dd112 |
| By: | Langen, Henrika (BIBB); Laine, Liisa (University of Missouri) |
| Abstract: | We study the impact of a teacher strike on students still in compulsory school and about to choose their secondary education track. Using administrative data and a difference-in-differences approach, we estimate the effect of a regional strike in Finland on educational attainment and long-term labor market outcomes. On average, we find no statistically significant effect on attainment across exposed students. However, students from high-income households were more likely to pursue general education rather than vocational degrees, while those from low-income households shifted away from general education. Despite these differences, both groups experienced modest gains in income and employment later in life. |
| Keywords: | teacher strike, administrative data, effect heterogeneity, difference-in-differences, doubly robust estimation |
| JEL: | I21 I24 J24 C23 |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17937 |
| By: | Lesman Ghazaryan; Corinne Faure; Joachim Schleich; Mia M. Birau (EM - EMLyon Business School) |
| Abstract: | Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) tariff schemes, in which households pay based on their waste generation, are proposed as solutions to the growing worldwide challenge of municipal solid waste management. However, public acceptance of such schemes remains low. Using a one-factor between-subject experimental survey design with 620 participants, we test the effects of environmental and accountability appeals and of individual characteristics in shaping preferences for a proposed PAYT scheme in Grenoble, France. We find a positive effect of the accountability appeal and no effect of the environmental appeal on preference for the PAYT scheme compared to a fixed-fee scheme. Additional analyses suggest that accountability appeals are particularly effective for individuals with below-median age, above-median income, and at least a master's degree, indicating that policymakers should target younger and educated citizens with these appeals in PAYT campaigns. Future research could test the applicability of these findings in other settings and for other waste-related interventions. |
| Keywords: | Pay-as-you-throw, Unit pricing of waste, Waste management, Communication strategies, Public acceptability, Survey experiment |
| Date: | 2025–06–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05083048 |
| By: | Mattis Beckmannshagen (DIW Berlin - Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung); Johannes König (DIW Berlin - Deutsche Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung = German Institute for Economic Research); Isabella Retter (DIW Berlin - Deutsche Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung = German Institute for Economic Research); Christian Schluter (AMSE - Aix-Marseille Sciences Economiques - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - ECM - École Centrale de Marseille - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University of Southampton); Carsten Schröder (DIW Berlin - Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung); Yogam Tchokni (DIW Berlin - Deutsche Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung = German Institute for Economic Research) |
| Abstract: | Earnings are often top-coded (right-censored) in administrative registers. The censoring threshold in the case of Germany is the limit value for social security contributions, leading to a substantial fraction of censoring: For example, about 12 % of male workers in West Germany are affected, rising to above 30 % for highly educated prime-aged workers. This missing right tail of the earnings distribution constitutes a major problem for researchers studying earnings inequality and top incomes. We overcome this challenge by taking a distributional approach and semi-parametrically modelling the right tail as being Pareto-like. Non-censored earnings survey data matched to administrative records, derived from the SOEP-RV project, let us operate in a laboratory-like setting in which the targets are known. Our approach outperforms alternative imputation methods based on Tobit regressions. |
| Keywords: | right-censored earnings, top-coding, SOEP-RV, heavy-tailed distribution, extreme value index, imputation |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05084494 |
| By: | Heuer, Felix; Sommer, Stephan |
| Abstract: | Huge low-carbon investments are required to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. However, one obstacle for these investments may be public opposition to the installment of low-carbon technology due to high perceived net costs. In this paper, we analyze the local net costs of both wind turbines and PV farms, employing a hedonic price analysis on the universe of housing ads from German's largest online real estate platform for the period spanning from 2009 to 2021. Beyond estimating average treatment effects, we focus on distance and intensity specific effects of wind turbines and PV farms on property prices. Moreover, we add to the existing literature by estimating the effect not only of the nearest energy facility. We find that wind turbines exhibit a negative effect of 1.8-1.9% on property prices that fades out after 3 km of distance. This effect seems to become larger the more wind turbines are installed in the proximity of a property. PV farms reduce property prices more locally only up to a 2 km distance by 1.9%. |
| Abstract: | Um die Ziele des Pariser Abkommens zu erreichen, sind enorme Investitionen in kohlenstoffarme Technologien erforderlich. Ein Hindernis für diese Investitionen könnte jedoch die Ablehnung der Öffentlichkeit gegenüber der Einführung kohlenstoffarmer Technologien aufgrund der hohen wahrgenommenen Nettokosten sein. In diesem Beitrag analysieren wir die lokalen Nettokosten von Windkraftanlagen und Photovoltaikparks anhand einer hedonischen Preisanalyse der Wohnungsanzeigen auf Deutschlands größter Online-Immobilienplattform für den Zeitraum von 2009 bis 2021. Über die Schätzung der durchschnittlichen Behandlungseffekte hinaus konzentrieren wir uns auf die abstands- und intensitätsspezifischen Auswirkungen von Windkraftanlagen und Photovoltaikparks auf die Immobilienpreise. Darüber hinaus ergänzen wir die bestehende Literatur, indem wir nicht nur die Auswirkungen der nächstgelegenen Energieanlage schätzen. Wir stellen fest, dass Windkraftanlagen einen negativen Effekt von 1, 8-1, 9 % auf die Immobilienpreise haben, der nach einer Entfernung von 3 km abklingt. Dieser Effekt scheint umso größer zu werden, je mehr Windkraftanlagen in der Nähe einer Immobilie installiert sind. PV-Parks senken die Immobilienpreise lokal nur bis zu einer Entfernung von 2 km um 1, 9 %. |
| Keywords: | Renewable energy, hedonic prices, heterogeneity |
| JEL: | Q21 D12 R31 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:rwirep:319072 |
| By: | Germà Bel (GiM-IREA, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.); Joël Bühler (GiM-IREA, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.) |
| Abstract: | Municipalities increasingly cooperate with one another to improve their public services. In this study, we estimate the causal effect of Inter-Municipal Cooperation (IMC) on the environmental performance of waste collection in Catalonia. Using a difference-in-differences framework, we find that municipalities moving into IMC decrease non-separated waste per capita and increase the share of waste separation. However, when taking into account potential selection into treatment, a causal effect is present only in a sub-period after a strong hike in the landfill tax, and particularly for municipalities switching after this tax hike. This points to IMC’s potential to use technical capability and economies of scale for a more pronounced and rapid reaction, enhancing the effectiveness of higher-level policy. In contrast, absent the landfill tax, IMC seems to have offered limited improvement in environmental performance, suggesting at most a secondary role for internalization of local environmental spillovers. |
| Keywords: | Inter-Municipal Cooperation; Waste Management; Recycling; Selection into Treatment; Difference-in-Differences. JEL classification: H41, H77, Q53. |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ira:wpaper:202501 |
| By: | Maczulskij, Terhi (ETLA - The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy); Kanninen, Ohto (LABORE Labour Institute for Economic Research); Karhunen, Hannu (LABORE Labour Institute for Economic Research); Tahvonen, Ossi (University of Helsinki) |
| Abstract: | Using linked employer-employee data combined with administrative data on debt enforcement, we analyze the impact of job loss on debt problems in Finland, where even 50% of income may be subject to wage garnishment for up to 25 years. Our results show that job loss, defined by plant closures and mass layoffs, increases the incidence of enforced debt by approximately 10%, with the effect persisting for at least a decade. The impact is particularly large for unpaid taxes and various private debts, such as installment purchase payments. Moreover, the effects are stronger among individuals who were already burdened with excessive overall debt, such as mortgages, before displacement. We also document spillover effects on spouses and children, indicating that job loss can have far-reaching consequences for household indebtedness. However, we find no significant effect on filing for personal bankruptcy. |
| Keywords: | employer-employee data, involuntary job loss, debt enforcement, default, personal bankruptcy |
| JEL: | D14 G51 J64 J65 |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17940 |
| By: | Paolo Fornaro |
| Abstract: | In this study, I examine the main drivers of wage dispersion growth in the Finnish private sectors for the years 2001–2022. In particular, I quantify the share of salary variance growth due to within-firm variation, as well as the one due to between-industry heterogeneity. I find that wage dispersion in Finland has increased over time, and that while within-firm variation is the largest contributor to wage dispersion for any given year, the growth in variance has been mainly caused by between-firm variation, with between-industry variation being especially important. These results are particularly strong when I exclude the years characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, I find that a limited number of industries accounts for these results. I also examine other possible drivers of income inequality, such as regional and occupation-related dispersion, finding that between-regional wage differences have not been a meaningful driver of aggregate inequality. |
| Keywords: | wage inequality, industry structure, sorting |
| JEL: | E01 E24 E25 J01 |
| Date: | 2025–04–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pst:wpaper:353 |
| By: | Guglielmo Maria Caporale; Matteo Alessi |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between local banking and prosperity at the municipal level in Italy from 2011 to 2021. The latter variable is measured using an index proposed by Sen (1976). The analysis is based on panel regressions including a measure of local banking and other control variables at the municipality level. The static results indicate a positive and significant association between the presence of local banking and prosperity. They are confirmed by the dynamic panel estimates, and are robust to using different proxies for local bank presence. Their implication is that cooperative banking plays a crucial role in promoting prosperity at the local level. |
| Keywords: | well-neing, cooperative banking, static and dynamic panels, GMM |
| JEL: | I31 G21 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11926 |