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Reforming Social Welfare in Germany: An Applied General Equilibrium Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Boeters Stefan

    (Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB), The Hague,The Hague, Netherlands)

  • Gürtzgen Nicole

    (Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW),Mannheim, Germany)

  • Schnabel Reinhold

    (University of Essen,Duisburg, Germany)

Abstract
In this paper, the effects of social assistance reform proposals are discussed for the case of Germany using a computable general equilibrium model that incorporates a discrete choice model of labour supply. This allows us to identify general equilibrium effects of the reforms on wages and unemployment. The simulation results show that general equilibrium wage reactions mitigate labour supply effects and that unemployment in fact decreases. Wage reactions are thus sufficiently strong to prevent additional labour supply from translating into higher unemployment. The simulations indicate that major cuts in welfare payments are necessary to produce substantial employment effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Boeters Stefan & Gürtzgen Nicole & Schnabel Reinhold, 2006. "Reforming Social Welfare in Germany: An Applied General Equilibrium Analysis," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 7(4), pages 363-388, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:germec:v:7:y:2006:i:4:p:363-388
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0475.2006.00124.x
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    1. Stefan Boeters & Michael Feil & Nicole Gürtzgen, 2007. "Discrete Working Time Choice in an Applied General Equilibrium Model," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 29(3), pages 427-427, May.
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    16. Henrik Jacobsen Kleven & Claus Thustrup Kreiner & Claus Thustrup Kreiner, 2003. "The Marginal Cost of Public Funds in OECD Countries. Hours of Work Versus Labor Force Participation," CESifo Working Paper Series 935, CESifo.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Peichl, Andreas, 2008. "The benefits of linking CGE and Microsimulation Models - Evidence from a Flat Tax analysis," FiFo Discussion Papers - Finanzwissenschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge 08-6, University of Cologne, FiFo Institute for Public Economics.
    2. Franz, Wolfgang & Guertzgen, Nicole & Schubert, Stefanie & Clauss, Markus, 2007. "Reformen im Niedriglohnsektor: Eine integrierte CGE-Mikrosimulationsstudie der Arbeitsangebots- und Beschäftigungseffekte," ZEW Discussion Papers 07-085, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    3. Andreas Peichl, 2009. "The Benefits and Problems of Linking Micro and Macro Models — Evidence from a Flat Tax Analysis," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(2), pages 301-329, November.
    4. Peichl, Andreas, 2005. "Die Evaluation von Steuerreformen durch Simulationsmodelle," FiFo Discussion Papers - Finanzwissenschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge 05-1, University of Cologne, FiFo Institute for Public Economics.
    5. Gradzewicz, Michal & Jędrzejowicz, Tomasz & Żółkiewski, Zbigniew, 2007. "The cost of fiscal tightening in Poland on the road to the Euro: does the labour market matter? (CGE model simulations)," MPRA Paper 28146, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Bargain, Olivier & Orsini, Kristian, 2006. "In-work policies in Europe: Killing two birds with one stone?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(6), pages 667-697, December.
    7. Kolm, Ann-Sofie & Tonin, Mirco, 2006. "In-Work Benefits in Search Equilibrium," Research Papers in Economics 2006:12, Stockholm University, Department of Economics.
    8. Stefan Boeters & Michael Feil & Nicole Gürtzgen, 2007. "Discrete Working Time Choice in an Applied General Equilibrium Model," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 29(3), pages 427-427, May.
    9. Vincent Law, 2011. "Welfare Policy and Labour Supply of Immigrants in Australia," Crawford School Research Papers 1109, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    10. Schubert, Stefanie & Schnabel, Reinhold, 2009. "Curing Germany's health care system by mandatory health premia?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 911-923, September.
    11. Melanie Arntz & Stefan Boeters & Nicole Gürtzgen & Stefanie Schubert, 2006. "Analysing Welfare Reform in a Microsimulation-AGE Model," Computing in Economics and Finance 2006 109, Society for Computational Economics.
    12. Arntz, Melanie & Boeters, Stefan & Gurtzgen, Nicole, 2006. "Alternative approaches to discrete working time choice in an AGE framework," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 1008-1032, December.
    13. Arntz, Melanie & Boeters, Stefan & Gürtzgen, Nicole & Schubert, Stefanie, 2008. "Analysing welfare reform in a microsimulation-AGE model: The value of disaggregation," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 422-439, May.
    14. Krimmer, Pascal & Raffelhüschen, Bernd, 2007. "Grundsicherung in Deutschland: Analyse und Reformbedarf," FZG Discussion Papers 14, University of Freiburg, Research Center for Generational Contracts (FZG).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social assistance; discrete labour supply model; applied general equilibrium;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • D58 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Computable and Other Applied General Equilibrium Models
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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