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Incentives to work: The case of Germany

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  • Boss, Alfred
  • Elendner, Thomas

Abstract

Based on a description of the German system of taxes and transfers, the incentives to work are analyzed for several groups of the labor force. The effects of the ?Hartz IV? reform (effective from 2005 onwards) on the incentives receive particular attention. It turns out that the marginal (explicit and implicit) tax rates for most groups of the labor force remain high. It is concluded that employment probably will not be affected significantly by that part of the reform which aims at strengthening the incentives to work. Other elements of ?Hartz IV? are only touched on.

Suggested Citation

  • Boss, Alfred & Elendner, Thomas, 2005. "Incentives to work: The case of Germany," Kiel Working Papers 1237, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifwkwp:1237
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Boss, Alfred & Elendner, Thomas, 2003. "Steuerreform und Lohnsteueraufkommen in Deutschland - Simulationen auf Basis der Lohnsteuerstatistik," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 3126, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    2. Breyer, Friedrich & Franz, Wolfgang & Homburg, Stefan & Schnabel, Reinhold & Wille, Eberhard, 2004. "Reform der sozialen Sicherung: Kurzfassung," EconStor Books, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, number 92399, July.
    3. Michaelis, Jochen & Spermann, Alexander, 2004. "Evaluation von Mini- und Midijobs sowie Arbeitslosengeld II: Methodische Grundprobleme und Lösungsansätze," Volkswirtschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge 61, University of Kassel, Faculty of Economics and Management.
    4. Boss, Alfred & Elendner, Thomas, 2003. "Steuerreform und Lohnsteueraufkommen in Deutschland: Simulation auf Basis der Lohnsteuerstatistik," Kiel Working Papers 1185, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    5. Boss, Alfred, 2000. "Steuer- und Ausgabenpolitik in Deutschland," Kiel Working Papers 975, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    6. Buscher, Herbert, 2004. "Hartz IV: 1-Euro-Jobs setzen falsche Anreize," Wirtschaft im Wandel, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH), vol. 10(11), pages 300-306.
    7. Boss, Alfred & Elendner, Thomas, 2000. "Ein Modell zur Simulation des Lohnsteueraufkommens in Deutschland," Kiel Working Papers 988, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    8. Boss, Alfred, 2001. "Sozialhilfe, Lohnabstand, Leistungsanreize und Mindestlohnarbeitslosigkeit," Kiel Working Papers 1075, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
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    Cited by:

    1. Berg, Peter B. & Hamman, Mary K. & Piszczek, Matthew & Ruhm, Christopher J., 2015. "Can Policy Facilitate Partial Retirement? Evidence from Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 9266, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Andreas Knabe & Ronnie Schöb & Joachim Weimann, 2006. "Marginal Employment Subsidization: A New Concept and a Reappraisal," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(4), pages 557-577, November.
    3. Boss, Alfred & Elendner, Thomas, 2005. "Verstärkte Arbeitsanreize durch das Arbeitslosengeld II?," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 3665, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    4. Breiding, Torsten, 2006. "Die Arbeitslosenversicherung in Deutschland – Beitrag zur Bekämpfung oder Ursache von Arbeitslosigkeit [The unemployment insurance in Germany - does it cause or does it help to overcome unemploymen," MPRA Paper 20999, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Meyer, Wolfgang & Gerlach, Knut, 2005. "Zusammenlegung von Arbeitslosen- und Sozialhilfe: Wirkungen auf Löhne, Beschäftigung und gewerkschaftliche Tarifpolitik (The merging of uneployment assistance and social aissistance * effects on wages," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 38(2/3), pages 383-395.
    6. Christos Koulovatianos & Ulrich Schmidt & Carsten Schröder, 2008. "Arbeitslosengeld II: Arbeitsanreize und Verteilungsgerechtigkeit," Wirtschaftsdienst, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 88(7), pages 461-466, July.
    7. Wolfgang Ochel, 2005. "Hartz IV – Welfare to Work in Germany," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 3(2), pages 18-25, 07.
    8. Boss, Alfred & Christensen, Björn & Schrader, Klaus, 2005. "Anreizprobleme bei Hartz IV: Lieber ALG II statt Arbeit?," Kiel Discussion Papers 421, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    9. Alfred Boss & Achim Boss & Thomas Boss, 2008. "Der deutsche Einkommensteuertarif: Wieder eine Wachstumsbremse?," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 9(1), pages 102-124, February.
    10. Juan Carlos Martinez Oliva, 2009. "Riunificazione intertedesca e politiche per la convergenza," Mo.Fi.R. Working Papers 14, Money and Finance Research group (Mo.Fi.R.) - Univ. Politecnica Marche - Dept. Economic and Social Sciences.
    11. Ammermueller, Andreas & Kuckulenz, Anja & Zwick, Thomas, 2009. "Aggregate unemployment decreases individual returns to education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 217-226, April.
    12. Boss, Achim & Boss, Alfred & Boss, Thomas, 2006. "Der deutsche Einkommensteuertarif: Weiterhin eine Wachstumsbremse?," Kiel Working Papers 1304, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    13. Boss, Alfred, 2019. "Arbeitsanreize beim Bezug von Arbeitslosengeld II: Ein Reformvorschlag," Kiel Working Papers 2126, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    14. Boss, Alfred, 2013. "Verhindert ein Mindestlohn eine Ausbeutung des Staates?," Kiel Working Papers 1884, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    15. Helge Berger & Stephan Danninger, 2007. "The Employment Effects of Labor and Product Market Deregulation and Their Implications for Structural Reform," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 54(3), pages 591-619, July.
    16. Meyer, Wolfgang & Gerlach, Knut, 2005. "Zusammenlegung von Arbeitslosen- und Sozialhilfe: Wirkungen auf Löhne, Beschäftigung und gewerkschaftliche Tarifpolitik (The merging of uneployment assistance and social aissistance * effects on wages," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 38(2/3), pages 383-395.
    17. Mr. Helge Berger & Mr. Stephan Danninger, 2005. "Labor and Product Market Deregulation: Partial, Sequential, or Simultaneous Reform?," IMF Working Papers 2005/227, International Monetary Fund.
    18. Meyer, Wolfgang & Gerlach, Knut, 2005. "Zusammenlegung von Arbeitslosen- und Sozialhilfe: Wirkungen auf Löhne, Beschäftigung und gewerkschaftliche Tarifpolitik (The merging of uneployment assistance and social aissistance * effects on wages," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 38(2/3), pages 383-395.
    19. Benner, Joachim & Boss, Alfred & Kamps, Annette & Meier, Carsten-Patrick & Oskamp, Frank & Sander, Birgit & Scheide, Joachim, 2005. "Deutschland: vorerst weiter schwache Konjunktur und kaum Aussicht auf höheres Wachstum," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 3491, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Contributions to social security; Unemployment benefits; Implicit tax rates; Incentives to work; Income tax rates;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies

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