Discussion Paper No. 69
November 4, 2021
The Impact of a Negative Labor Demand Shock on Fertility - Evidence From the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Author:
Abstract:
How does a negative labor demand shock impact fertility? I analyze this question in the context of the East German fertility decline after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. I exploit differential pressure for restructuring across East German industries which led to unexpected, exogenous, and permanent changes to labor demand. I find that throughout the 1990s, women more severely impacted by the demand shock had relatively more children than their less-severely-impacted counterparts. Thus, the demand shock did not only depress the aggregate fertility level but also changed the composition of mothers. My paper shows that these two effects do not necessarily operate in the same direction.
Keywords:
J13; J23; P36;
JEL-Classification:
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Discussion Paper No. 43
November 3, 2021
Additional Career Assistance and Educational Outcomes for Students in Lower Track Secondary Schools
Author:
Abstract:
Based on local policy variation, this paper estimates the causal effect of additional career assistance on educational outcomes for students in Lower Track Secondary Schools in Germany. We find mostly insignificant effects of the treatment on average outcomes, which mask quite heterogeneous effects. For those students, who are taking extra coursework to continue education, the grade point average is unaffected and the likelihood of completing a Middle Track Secondary School degree falls. In contrast, educational outcomes improve for students who do not take extra coursework. Hence, the treatment causes a reversal of educational plans after graduation.
Keywords:
lower track secondary schools; career guidance; educational upgrading;
JEL-Classification: