Reasons for Wage Rigidity in Germany This study investigates institutional and economic reasons for downward wage rigidity regarding three occupational skill groups. Based on a survey of 801 firms in Germany and an econometric analysis, we find strong support for explanations based on the effects of labour union contracts and efficiency wages that differ between skill groups. Survey respondents...

The existence and persistence of large spatial disparities in unemployment within national economies is a central issue in regional economics. Previous empirical analyses have largely disregarded the role of fundamentals. On the contrary in this paper we explore the link between labour productivity, international trade and regional unemployment differentials. We base our empirical analysis on t...

The links between public administration modernisation, efficiency of public spending, governance and growth are examined for a sample of 38 developed countries (the OECD plus EU countries). Efficiency and governance are shown to be correlated. Also, different measures of governance are significantly correlated to labour productivity. Results suggest that some governance features are more import...

The fundamental question addressed in this paper is this: does the rise of free market orthodoxy indicate the triumph of ‘efficiency’ at the expense of ‘equity’? Or does it also, and possibly even primarily, reflect an attempt to capitalise on the distributive opportunities that have been created by the deteriorating macroeconomic environment and the conservative political climate of the late ‘...

Support in labour has an impact on the childbirth experience as well as on childbirth outcomes. Both social and professional support is needed. The aim of this study was to explore professional support offered by midwives during labour in relation to the supportive needs of the childbearing woman and her partner. The study used a qualitative, inductive design using triangulation, with observati...

Urban problems—such as resources depletion, environment pollution and waste generation—usually occur during rapid urbanisation processes, especially in mega-urban agglomerations. Finding solutions to sustainable urban development is a global research interest, and urban metabolism is an effective approach to analysing the socio-economic system and ecosystem. In this study, three cities in the J...