| Amidst global challenges such as the climate crisis, ongoing geopolitical conflicts, and the recent pandemic, it becomes evident that inequalities in income, education, and health persist, and always have a political dimension.
Our ZEW Monthly edition focusing on “Inequality” presents the institute’s latest research in this field, offering potential solutions to various problems. Our analyses reveal that the Bavarian Family Allowance fails to effectively reach households at risk of poverty, suggesting a need for a more targeted approach. Additionally, ZEW researchers show that boosting the representation of women in leadership roles and fostering a more inclusive corporate culture could enhance gender diversity in STEM fields. Finally, a study using Chinese data sheds light for the first time on the relationship between wealth inequality and membership of the Chinese Communist Party.
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↗ BAVARIAN FAMILY ALLOWANCE LACKS PRECISION IN TARGETING
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| Only a relatively small proportion of the Bavarian family allowance actually reaches households at risk of poverty. A more targeted approach, such as increased investment in childcare, could provide better support for all families. This is shown by a study conducted by researchers from ZEW on behalf of the Green Party faction in the Bavarian State Parliament. With the help of a computer model and causal estimation methods, they examined which population groups profit from the current benefits and how the family allowance is used by recipients. Furthermore, they calculated the effects of different reform options and potential cost savings.
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↗ HOW STEM CAREERS CAN BECOME MORE ATTRACTIVE TO WOMEN
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| Women are less likely to choose careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and less often reach leadership positions within these fields. Consequently, female leaders in STEM remain a rarity. But what needs to happen for more women to forge successful careers in these domains? A recent study conducted by Northwestern University, Boston University, LUISS University, and ZEW suggests that higher representation of women in supervisory boards and executive boards, along with more modern corporate cultures, can contribute to increasing gender diversity in STEM professions. Many companies are therefore implementing internal quota regulations or establishing codes of conduct to promote diversity.
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↗ POOR CHINESE IN PARTICULAR BENEFIT FROM PARTY MEMBERSHIP
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| Households in urban China with members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are more than 20 per cent wealthier than those without CCP members. Surprisingly, amidst the transition phase of the world’s largest emerging economy, political status seems to be mitigating wealth inequality rather than excecerberating it. This trend is primarily due to China’s extensive housing reform in the 1990s, according to a recent ZEW study.
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| | ↗ OPIOID CRISIS: FRIENDSHIPS CAN POSE A RISK
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| The social environment is one of the most fruitful illegal sources of supply of opioid painkillers in the USA. Between 2010 and 2019, over half of all US Americans who abused painkillers obtained them from friends and family, most of whom had access to excess prescription narcotics due to serious injuries or operations. These are the findings of a study conducted by ZEW together with other research institutions, in which European and US researchers shed light on the opioid epidemic in the USA using longitudinal data
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| | How to read the graphic:
In the USA, the likelihood of abusing opioids increases by an average of seven percentage points if there has been a serious injury or surgery in the past twelve months. Without a college degree, the probability even increases by nine percentage points, whereas with a college degree it only increases by three percentage points.
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↗ FINANCIAL CRISIS 2007: EMPLOYEES STILL EARNING LESS TODAY
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| The lingering effects of the global financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 are still felt today. A study from ZEW reveals that higher-earning office employees of capital-intensive firms in particular continue to be significantly affected by the crisis. Even in 2018, earnings losses of up to 15 per cent were still measurable. The financial crisis has thus had a lasting impact on the entire working life. The results, based on data from Italy, are transferrable to other European countries.
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↗ GERMANS FEEL SIGNIFICANTLY LESS SECURE
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| The New Year’s Eve celebrations in Cologne in 2015 were overshadowed by more than a thousand crimes. These ranged from theft to sexual assault and were allegedly mostly committed by North African refugees. A study by ZEW and Goethe University Frankfurt, based on data from the European Social Survey (ESS), now scientifically confirms for the first time that Germans feel significantly more insecure after these events and are more actively engaged with the topic of self-defence.
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↗ FOSTERING EQUAL CAREER OPPORTUNITIES WITH MORE ‘DADDY TIME’
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| From April 2024, parents of a new-born will only be able to spend a maximum of one month of paid parental leave together; previously it was seven months. The remaining paid leave is now mandated to be taken separately, aligning with the objective of fostering a more balanced distribution of childcare responsibilities between fathers and mothers. Dr. Sarra Ben Yahmed, senior researcher in the “Labour Markets and Social Insurance” Unit at ZEW, calls for more family policy reforms.
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| | | Germany has ambitious plans for the energy transition. Fossil fuels are to be replaced by electricity, generated by renewable sources. Currently, electricity accounts for just over 20 per cent of energy consumption. By 2030, the demand for electricity is expected to rise significantly: more cars will run on batteries instead of petrol, and heating will be increasingly powered by electric heat pumps instead of gas boilers. Presently, over half of the electricity is produced from renewable sources. The target is to reach 80 per cent by 2023 – already taking the anticipated higher electricity consumption into account.
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| | | ZEW CEREMONY: AS KOHL RETIRES, VON SCHUTTENBACH RISES TO THE CHALLENGE
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| Accompanied by piano music and with around 300 guests in attendance, a festive ceremony on 23 February 2024 brought an iconic era to a close. Thomas Kohl, ZEW’s first head of Human Resources who has served as managing director since 2004, has gone into a well-deserved retirement after 32 years. On 1 March, he was succeeded by Claudia von Schuttenbach. The farewell was duly celebrated by the esteemed speakers and illustrious audience in attendance drawn from the worlds of business, politics, science and administration.
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| | | FINALLY TAKING AI SERIOUSLY ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA
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| Professor Irene Bertschek, head of the “Digital Economy” Unit at ZEW Mannheim and deputy chair of the Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI), presented the EFI Report 2024 in a new edition of the digital series #ZEWlive on 12 March 2024. The focus was on the topic of artificial intelligence, which she further discussed with Dr. Andreas Liebl, founder and managing director of appliedAI Initiative GmbH, following her presentation.
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| | | | UPCOMING | |
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| | | AGEING AND SUSTAINABLE FINANCE
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| Long-term trends like demographic change and climate change pose major challenges for the sustainability and stability of financial markets. For households, firms and financial institutions these entail far-reaching consequences with regard to financial decision-making, old-age provision, financing conditions, reporting burdens, interest rates, business models of financial institutions, the role of (state) pension funds, monetary policy and the regulation of financial markets. This two-day conference on 25 and 26 April 2024 provides a stimulating environment for in-depth debates on (the interplay between) the effects of demographic change and climate change on financial markets and their various players, on the policy implications of recent research, and on new research questions arising from policy responses.
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| | | | → CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS ON THE CONTENT | |
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| | | | | ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research
L7, 1 · 68161 Mannheim
Phone: +49 (0)621/1235-01
E-mail: zewmonthly@zew.de
Website: www.zew.de
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| | | | | Executive Directors:
Professor Achim Wambach, PhD; Claudia von Schuttenbach
Chair of the ZEW Supervisory Board:
Ministerial Director Dr. Hans Reiter
Registered Office: Mannheim
Local Court Mannheim HRB 6554
USt-IdNr.: DE188318292
Commitment to Data Protection
Detailed Legal Note
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