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Presentations & Publications

Presentations

economica Jour Fix, 23.05.2017

  • Economic Consequences of Landlockedness – What Makes a Difference?
    Slovak Economic Association Meeting (SEAM 2023)
    September 13–14, 2023, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
    Is Landlockedness destiny or is economic development depending on strong institutions, especially legal institutions? Is Landlockedness a problem independent of the level of income? How did convergence dynamics change after the global financial crisis?
    Guannan Miao and I provide answers with the help of results from growth equations using data for  97 countries relating gdp per capita growth (constant 2010 USD) with initial gdp, investment rate, trade openness, institutional quality and landlockedness dummies. Take a look at the powerpoint and the paper.
     

  • Tackling low labour utilisation in South Africa (Short version of SARB Working Paper)
    SARB Working Paper
    2023 GTAC PUBLIC ECONOMICS CONFERENCE, 6 September 2023, Midrand, South Africa
    Programme
    Years are passing, but the main challenge for the South African society and economy  remains: The low labour force participation rate, which contributes to inequality and depresses economic activity. GTAC invited two experts, providing two radically different solutions. Professor Friedman (University of Johannesburg) took note that many conventional policies have been tried and not achieved much. He therefore argues to change course and focus on wellbeing instead of economic participation. Andreas Wörgötter (formerly with OECD, now a visiting research scholar at SARB, Pretoria and lecturer at the University of Technology, Vienna) identified a number of main obstacles for employment creation, which persist since the democratic transition. Measures to overcome the low employment/low growth stalemate include a reform of VET by putting employers into the drivers seat and putting curriculum development  into the hands of social partners, establish an employment service "German style" in charge of ALMPs and income support during job search, focusing BEE and its successor programmes on activating traditional settlement areas as well as reducing the still high entry barriers in product markets in order to facilitate innovation and job creation.

  • What are the drivers behind South Africa's appalling inactivity rate?

  • Current and persisting challenges in South Africa’s labour market
    23 July 2021 - ERSA podcast

    https://econrsa.org/podcasts/prof-andreas-worgotter-on-addressing-current-and-persisting-challenges-in-south-africas-labour-market/  
    At a time when tensions are rising due to growing inequality and unemployment, ERSA’s host is joined by Prof. Andreas Wörgötter from the Vienna University of Technology to discuss some of the key takings from his research co-authored with Christopher Loewald, and Konstantin Makrelov called ‘Addressing low labour utilization in South Africa’. In this podcast we discuss why South Africa’s inactivity rate is an international outlier even when compared to other emerging markets and what we can earn from past policy successes and failures in our labour market. Considering that the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted pre-existing weaknesses in the economy, we discuss the role of social grants, entrepreneurship and the informal sector. Combining experience from South Africa, learnings from other countries and solid economic foundations from the likes of Schumpeter and Keynes, this podcast gives a broad perspective to the complex nature of rising inequality in South Africa. As Prof Wörgötter explains, more than ever, it is essential that the support provided should focus on making the economy more resilient.

  • 4 th CESEEnet research workshop March 25-27, 2019
    Programme ppt 

  • Deutschland und sein LBÜ/Germany and its current account surplus, economica, 23.05.2017

  • Bottomline:
    Bertelsmann Blog: Germany - A Timid Economic Giant?

    - Der Leistungsbilanzüberschuss (LBÜ) Deutschlands wird von der Europäischen Kommission als makroökonomisches Ungleichgewicht klassifiziert
    - Als Gegenmaßnahme wird vorgeschlagen die heimische zu erhöhen
    - Working Papers, OECD Länderberichte für Deutschland betrachten den LBÜ als strukturell
    - Ein sektorales Auseinanderklaffen des Produktivitätswachstum geht mit einem LBÜ einher
    - Dazu kommt, dass in Deutschland wirtschaftspolitische Rahmenbedingungen auf die Güterproduktion zugeschnitten sind, während der für den heimischen Bedarf produzierende Dienstleistungssektor durch eine Vielzahl von Regulierungen beschränkt wird
    - Als Ausweg bietet sich eine Liberalisierung des Dienstleistungssektors an, der dadurch mit mehr Importen zu einer Verringerung des LBÜ führt ohne die Wettbewerbsposition der Exportwirtschaft zu verschlechtern 
    - Eine stärker wachsende deutsche Wirtschaft würde auch die Spannungen der Zuwanderung von Flüchtlingen besser verkraften
  • FIW-Seminar 1: Migration, Flüchtlingsintegration und Außenwirtschaft, BKA, 21.03.2017 
    Bottomline:
    - Österreich hat einen der höchsten Anteile der Bevölkerung mit Migrationshintergrund.
    - Dabei ist eine klare Zweiteilung der Integrationserfolge zu beobachten.
    - Einwanderer aus der näheren Umgebung sind in kurzer Zeit von der einheimischen Bevölkerung in Bezug auf Arbeitsmarktverhalten, Bildungserfolg der Kinder  und Teilnahme am sozialen, kulturellen und politischen Leben nicht zu unterscheiden.
    - Im Gegensatz dazu sind Einwanderer aus ferneren Ländern mit Barrieren konfrontiert, die einen produktiven Beitrag zum Bruttoinlandsprodukt erschweren.
    - In dieser Situation stellt die Flüchtlingswelle eine besondere humanitäre Herausforderung dar, wofür beträchtliche Aufwendungen notwendig sind: aktive Arbeitsmarktpolitik muss vertieft und erweitert werden und es muss auch durch mehr Flexibilität und Durchlässigkeit leichter gemacht werden neue Arbeitsplätze zu schaffen.
    - Flüchtlingsintegration ist kein Randgruppenproblem am Arbeitsmarkt sondern eine umfassende Aufgabe für eine solidarische, nachhaltige, inklusive und leistungsorientierte Gesellschaft.  

     
  • Die OECD-Wirtschaftsberichte in Österreich, Wissensgemeinschaft öffentliche Verwaltung und Verwaltungsreform, Rechnungshof, 15.12.2016
    Bottomline: OECD Wirtschaftsberichte verdichten empirische Evidenz, Erfahrungen der Mitgliedsländer, institutionelle Besonderheiten des jeweiligen Landes zu Empfehlungen, die unter Mithilfe der Verwaltung die Reformbemühungen (je)der Regierung unterstützen.

     

  • Was läuft eigentlich schief am Wirtschaftsstandort Österreich?, Agenda Austria, 28.06.2016
    Bottomline:
    - Österreich hat in den 20 Jahren zwischen 1989 und 2009 von der Vertiefung und Erweiterung der europäischen Integration profitiert.
    - Integrationsgewinne wurden aber überwiegend dazu verwendet ineffiziente Strukturen und Institutionen zu finanzieren.
    - Seit der großen Finanzkrise ist die österreichische Wirtschaft dem Gegenwind der weltweiten Überschuldung, Investitionsschwäche und steigender Arbeitslosigkeit ausgesetzt.
    - In dieser Situation muss die österreichische Politik statt der Nutzung positiver externer Entwicklungen verstärkt auf die Weckung heimischer Wachstumskräfte setzen.
    - Priorität muss dabei der Kosteneffizienz im öffentlichen Sektor und einer Rückbesinnung auf Produktivitätssteigerung in der Privatwirtschaft eingeräumt werden.

     
  • Armutsfalle Frauenpension? Ökosoziales Forum, 24.04.2016
    Bottomline:
    - Das Problem beginnt im Kindergarten und der Schule, wo Mädchen schwächere Mathematik-Leistungen zeigen
    - Eine gendertypische Wahl der Studienfächer und des Berufs ist mit mangelnden Karriere und Aufstiegschance verbunden
    -  Teilzeitarbeit und atypische Beschäftigungsverhältnisse  führen zu einer Einkommensschere und in der Folge zu unterschiedlichen Pensionsansprüchen.
    - Im EU-Vergleich sind die Unterschiede zwischen Erwerbseinkommen von Männern und Frauen in Österreich besonders groß sind.
    - Die Vollerwerbstätigkeit beider Elternteile mit kleinen Kindern ist in Österreich ein Auslaufmodell.
    - Am verbreitetsten ist das 1½-Modell, bei dem ein Elternteil ganztags und ein Elternteil Teilzeit arbeitet. Auch in den Niederlanden ist die Teilzeitarbeit weit verbreitet, allerdings ohne geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede.
    - Ein Angleichen der Frauenarbeitszeit an jene der Männer würde ein ¼ % Wachstum im Jahr bringen. 
    - Empfehlenswert wäre die ganztägige Öffnung der Kindergärten, Ganztagsschulen als Grundmodell, ein Bewusstseinswandel in der familiären Lastenverteilung, effektivere Aufklärung bei der Berufs- und Studienwahl über Karrieremöglichkeiten sowie weitere steuerrechtliche Maßnahmen, die zu einem Abbau von Nachteilen für eine partnerschaftliche Aufteilung von Erwerbs- und Hausarbeit beitragen.
    Weiterführende Literatur: Gönenç, R. et al. (2015), “Austria's separate gender roles model was popular in the past, but is becoming a constraint for comprehensive wellbeing”, OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 1272, OECD Publishing, Paris.

Publications

Membership in professional networks with access to academic publications:

  • RePEc: Working Papers and Articles to download

  • Researchgate: Academic activities 

  • Scholar.Google.com: Citations in academic publications

  • Scopus.com: Articles in academic journals

  • Aggregate Public-Private Remuneration Patterns in South Africa Andreas, Atlantic Economic Journal, Vol. 48, online first (with Sihle Nomdebevana, South African Reserve Bank)

  • Abstract This paper investigates the public-private remuneration patterns in South Africa with time-series methods for the first time since the introduction of an inflationtargeting framework in 2000. Co-integration tests and analysis confirm that there is a stable, long-run relationship between nominal and real remuneration in the public and private sector. The adjustment to the deviations from this long-run relationship is strong and significant for public-sector remuneration, while private-sector wages neither respond to deviations from the long-run relationship nor lagged changes in publicsector remuneration. The causal direction from private- to public-sector remuneration does not change if real earnings are calculated with the gross domestic product deflator. This is confirmed by simple Granger-causality tests.

       

       Download: ​Aggregate Public-Private Remuneration Patterns in South Africa | SpringerLink

  • Monetary Unions of Small Currencies and a Dominating Member: What Policies Work Best for Benefiting from CMA? Journal of Development Perspectives, Vol. 3, No. 1-2, 2019, pp. 13-28 (together with Zuzana Brixiova, Prague School of Economics)

  • Abstract: Successfully developing economies are, over the long term, usually characterized by a credible currency regime underpinning a stable financial system facilitating low-cost transactions, encouraging savings, and facilitating financing viable investment projects (Demirguc-Kunt and Levine 2008). An independent and effective central bank (CB), efficient supervision and regulatory capacity, and a complementary sustainable fiscal policy are necessary ingredients for the monetary system to perform its role. Although all this is a valid goal at all levels of development, sound macroeconomic framework conditions are particularly vital for small developing countries. Not only are they necessary for achieving macroeconomic stability, but they also support complementary, business-friendly, and rule-of-law–oriented institution building.

    

       Download: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/jdevepers.3.1-2.issue-1

  • The importance of institutional and organizational characteristics for the use of fixed-term contracts in Russia, Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, 2019, vol. 24(1), pages 89-121 (together with Larisa Smirnykh, Higher School of Economics, Moscow).

  • Abstract: Fixed-term contracts are becoming more used instead of the traditional model of open-ended employment. The authors examine the influence of institutional and organizational factors on the use of fixed-term contracts in Russia, with data from a survey covering 3 313 enterprises for the years 2009 to 2011. Probit and Tobit regressions are used to test several hypotheses derived from the literature. The results indicate that state-owned and unionised enterprises are more likely to use fixed-term contracts, and a high level of perceived dismissal protection for permanent workers is positively associated with the use of fixed-term contracts. Both the incidence and the intensity of fixed-term contracts are lower at enterprises with flexible wages. Among the organizational factors, the presence of workers with a tenure of 5-10 years and high job complexity are negatively related with the use fixed-term contracts

Download: https://ideas.repec.org/a/nms/joeems/10.5771-0949-6181-2019-1-89.html

  • Aggregate public-private remuneration patterns in South Africa, 2018, Working Papers 8421, South African Reserve Bank (together with Sihle Nomdebevana, South African Reserve Bank)

  • Abstract: This paper investigates the public-private remuneration pattern in South Africa since the introduction of an inflation-targeting framework in 2000. Co-integration tests and analysis confirm that there is a stable, long-run relationship between nominal and real remuneration in the public and private sector. The adjustment to the deviations from this long-run relationship is strong and significant for public-sector remuneration, while private-sector wages neither respond to the deviations from the long-run relationship nor lagged changes of public sector remuneration. The causal direction from private- to public-sector remuneration does not change if real earnings are calculated with the gross domestic product (GDP) deflator. This is confirmed by simple Granger causality tests. If this pattern remains stable, efforts to slow down the speed of the wage-price spiral should not exclude the private sector.

Download: https://www.resbank.co.za/Lists/News%20and%20Publications/Attachments/8421/WP%201801.pdf

Revised version published in Atlantic Economic Journal, Vol. 48 (2020)

  • Slovakia: The Consequences of Joining the Euro Area before the Crisis for a Small Catching-up Economy, CESifo Forum, Ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, 2013, vol. 14(1), pages 57-63 (together with Jarko Fidrmuc, Zeppelin University)
    Bottomline:
    The jobless recovery in Slovakia fits well with considerations about the recovery pattern after a financial crisis. The growing risk aversion of lenders increases the ratio of the collateral value to the loan, which favours capital intensive investment projects in existing enterprises. Maintaining the employment level during a financial crisis would therefore require a larger wage adjustment than that which would follow from the cyclical response of wages to increasing unemployment. The consequence of reduced lending by the financial sector is a combination of wage and job restraint. This underlines the importance of a sound financial sector for the recovery from a financial crisis.

  • Download: https://ideas.repec.org/a/ces/ifofor/v14y2013i1p57-63.html

  • Industrial structure and competition policy; Ch. 26 of the Oxford Companion to the Economics of South Africa (2014) https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-companion-to-the-economics-of-south-africa-9780199689248?cc=at&lang=en&
    Bottomline:
    South Africa has an overly monopolized product market structure and its network sectors, especially telecom and electricity are still to a considerable extent state controlled. Business regulation suffers from red tape and the legacy of Apartheid is weighing heavily on black entrepreneurship. This regulatory framework favours big, capital intensive conglomerates, which holds back job creation and contributes to the high degree of inequality. What is needeed is regulatory reform, which lowers entry barriers, improves school-to-job transition and redirects black economic empowerment from rent sharing to fostering Entrepreneurship.
     

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