P23

Projectmembers:
Prof. Regina Riphahn, PhD, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg
 

This project analyses the determinants of older workers’ wages. Given high unemployment particularly among older German workers we investigate whether wage structures affecting particularly the elderly might be responsible for excess labor supply in this age group. As a first issue we investigate the returns to tenure and general labor market experience for wages in the life cycle and then we measure heterogeneities in life cycle wage patterns across separate groups of the population, males and females in East and West Germany. We employ panel data which both, reach back more than 20 years in time and cover very recent developments. Finally, we will test the explanatory power of alternative wage theories (e.g. human capital vs. deferred compensation) and compare wage structures for employees in different bargaining regimes.