DFG Research Group
The Center for Economic Policy Analysis (CEPA) is part of the research group Labour market transformation: Scarcity, Mismatch, and Policy to study workforce shortages and skill development.
This joint initiative of the Berlin School of Economics (BSoE) is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) from 2025 - 2029 and the University of Potsdam is involved in three of seven projects. Thomas Siedler and Shushanik Margaryan are leading project P3 “Educational Interventions and Labor Market-Related Outcomes”, Marco Caliendo is responsible for project P2 “Human Capital Investment During the Working Life” and Katharina Wrohlich (University of Potsdam's joint appointment with DIW) is co-principal investigator for project P6 “Female Employment and Gender Gaps in the Labor Market”. The spokesperson is Peter Haan from the FU and the co-spokesperson is Alexandra Spitz-Oener from the HU. In addition to the institutions already mentioned, the Hertie School, the ESMT and the WZB, another non-university research institute, are also involved.
The research group will focus on how labor market transformations affect workforce shortages and the skills required by employees. The team will examine new qualifications needed due to global changes, digital transformation, and shifts in labor demand.
The goal of the research group is to build a solid foundation for understanding these labor market transformations. They aim to produce clear evidence on the mechanisms and policy reforms that can reduce workforce shortages and improve employee qualifications. The group will explore a variety of policy areas, including education, immigration, female workforce participation, family policies, and pension systems, while considering their interactions. They will use a range of empirical methods, including microeconometric evaluations, field and survey experiments, and structural modeling, to conduct their analysis.
CEPA members are contributing to this research group in the following projects:
P2: Human Capital Investments During the Working Life – The Interplay of Worker, Manager and Firm Characteristics
This project examines how workers, managers, and firms jointly influence workplace training decisions, which are crucial for adapting to technological and economic change. It investigates how personal characteristics, managerial characteristics and the firm environment influence access to and provision of training and how these factors interact. The research highlights gender differences, analyses whether female managers improve training opportunities for women, and addresses systemic barriers. Using innovative data combining surveys and administrative records, the project provides insights into how to promote equitable and effective training policies. Its findings aim to guide policy makers in reducing skills gaps, promoting equality and ensuring a resilient workforce prepared for future challenges in an evolving labour market.
Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Marco Caliendo
Members of the Research Team: Dr. Katrin Huber, Louis Klobes, Sophie Wagner
P3: Educational Interventions and Labour Market-Related Outcomes
This project explores how educational reforms and targeted interventions can address critical challenges in the labour market, such as labour scarcity and skill mismatches. It comprises three main components. First, it examines the impact of Germany’s G8 high school reform, which shortened the duration of high school to allow students to enter the workforce earlier, thereby expanding the labour supply. The study evaluates the reform’s effects on the age of labor market entry, wages, and the alignment between individuals' skills and job requirements, offering insights for countries with similar demographic pressures. Second, it assesses an initiative to improve literacy among children from low-income families by providing e-readers. A randomized controlled trial evaluates whether access to digital reading materials boosts literacy, academic achievement, and career aspirations. Third, the project investigates an intervention aimed at migrant youth, who often face integration barriers due to limited language skills. By equipping these students with reading devices, the project aims to improve their language skills and support their integration into the education system and the labour market. This intervention targets a key factor in reducing skill mismatch and enhancing social and economic integration.
Principal Investigators: Dr. Shushanik Margaryan, Prof. Thomas Siedler (PhD)
Member of the Research Team: Theresa Henkel
P6: Gender Gaps in the Labour Market: The Role of Skills, Implicit Biases and Task Allocation
This project investigates the causes of gender gaps in the labor market, focusing on skills, implicit biases, and task divisions. Despite extensive research on gender inequality, the impact of skill mismatches, social norms, and biases on the gender wage gap remains unclear. Using data from Germany and OECD countries, the project aims to provide new insights and propose solutions to reduce these disparities. The research is divided into three parts. The first explores how parenthood influences skill development and mismatches, analyzing the effects of parental leave and childcare policies. The second examines how family status and age impact implicit gender biases and perceptions of wage fairness between men and women. The third investigates why women disproportionately take on lower-paying, non-promotable tasks, using online experiments in five European countries. The findings will inform policies to address gender gaps in skills, biases, and task divisions, promoting greater workplace equality.
Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Katharina Wrohlich
Members of the Research Team: tbd