Unemployment was perhaps the major problem confronting European society at the time in which this book was first published in 1987, and is arguably still the case today. This collection of essays by British and German historians contributes to the debate by taking a close look at unemployment in the Weimar Republic. What groups were most severely affected, and why? How did they react? How effective were welfare and job creation schemes? Did unemployment fuel social instability and political extremism? How far was unemployment a cause of the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the triumph of the Third Reich? Did the Nazis solve the unemployment problem by peaceful Keynsianism or through massive rearmament? This book is ideal for students of history, sociology, and economics.

Comparison of data collecting and measurement methodology and definitions used for calculating unemployment rates in Germany, Federal Republic and the USA - describes data collecting systems and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics adjustment method; compares national and ILO definitions; discusses effect of short time working and early retirement programmes, and the incidence of underemployment and disguised unemployment in German unemployment rates. References, statistical tables.

Originally published in 1991 this book provides a multi-faceted analysis of German unemployment between 1873 and 1913. It can also be read as an example of social scientific historiography during the fourth quarter of the twentieth century. Finally, the study has value for the comparative perspective it lends to current economic, social, and political turmoil in Germany, Europe, and the United States. While the precise conditions in the USA differ today, there are clearly still lessons to be learned on both sides of the Atlantic from the economic, social, and political dislocation, which accompanied industrial unemployment in Germany between 1873 and 1913. .

Originally published in 1991 this book provides a multi-faceted analysis of German unemployment between 1873 and 1913. It can also be read as an example of social scientific historiography during the fourth quarter of the twentieth century. Finally, the study has value for the comparative perspective it lends to current economic, social, and political turmoil in Germany, Europe, and the United States. While the precise conditions in the USA differ today, there are clearly still lessons to be learned on both sides of the Atlantic from the economic, social, and political dislocation, which accompanied industrial unemployment in Germany between 1873 and 1913. .

Having the high unemployment in Germany in mind, this book discusses how macroeconomic theory has evolved over the past forty years. It shows that in recent years a convergence has taken place, with modern models embodying a Keynesian transmission mechanism, monetarist policy implication, and modeling techniques inspired by new classical economics and real business cycle theory. It also probes in which direction models may be extended from here. Empirically, the book uses different econometric techniques to investigate the relevance and implications of different macroeconomic theories for German data. A key question this book investigates is the role of demand and supply side conditions for the increase in the German unemployment rate. On a policy level, the book relates the implications of the different theories to the ongoing debate on the appropriate roles of demand and supply side policies for curing the German unemployment problem.

Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: Many European countries have experienced a significant increase of unemployment in recent years. Especially striking is the fact that unemployment rates in most European countries are significantly higher as compared to the United States. This paper reviews several theoretical models, which have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. Predominantly, these models claim a link between the poor performance of European labor markets and the high level of market regulation. Commonly referred to as the Eurosclerosis debate, prominent approaches consider insider-outsider relationships, search-models, and the influence of hiring and firing costs on equilibrium employment. The paper presents empirical evidence of each model and studies the relevance of the identified rigidities as a determining factor for high unemployment in Europe. Furthermore, a case study analyzes the unemployment problem in Germany and critically discusses recent reform efforts. Einleitung: In vielen europäischen Ländern ist die Arbeitslosigkeit in den vergangenen Jahren stark angestiegen. Besonders auffallend ist hierbei, das die Arbeitslosenrate in den meisten europäischen Staaten über den Werten in den USA liegt. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht eine Reihe theoretischer Modelle, die in der Literatur zur Erklärung dieses Phänomens diskutiert werden. Hauptsächlich sehen diese Modelle eine Verbindung zwischen dem hohen Grad an Marktregulierung und der schlechten Performance europäischer Arbeitsmärkte. Im Rahmen der so genannten Eurosclerosis-Debatte beleuchten mehrere Ansätze eine Insider-Outsider-Problematik, Such-Modelle, sowie den Einfluss von Einstellungs- und Kündigungsschutzregelungen (hiring- and firing-costs) auf die gleichgewichtige Beschäftigungsquote. Die Arbeit diskutiert die empirische Relevanz jedes Modells und analysiert insbesondere ihre Bedeutung als Erklärungsansatz für die hohe Arbeitslosigkeit in Europa. Darüber hinaus untersucht eine Fallstudie das Arbeitslosigkeitsproblem in Deutschland und diskutiert jüngste Reformmaßnahmen des so genannten Hartz-Programms. Insbesondere steht dabei die Frage im Vordergrund, ob einzelne Arbeitsmarktinstrumente wie Ich-AGs, Persönliche Service Agenturen (PSAs) sowie Mini- und Midijobs Abhilfe schaffen zu den in der Literatur identifizierten Beschäftigungshemmnissen. Inhaltsverzeichnis:Table of Contents: 1.Introduction1 2.Labor Market Rigidities and the European Unemployment [...]