Immigration and Distribution of Wages in Austria

Using detailed micro data on earnings and employment, I analyze the effects of immigration on the wage distribution of native male workers in Austria. I find that immigration has heterogeneous effects on wages, differing by type of work as well as the wage level. While there are small , but insignificant, negative effects for blue collar workers at the lower end of the wage distribution there are positive effects on wages at higher percentiles. For white collar workers positive effects occur at most percentiles. The estimated effects of immigration are relatively small in size and not significant for most workers. Overall it seems that most of potentially adverse effects of immigration on natives' wages are offset by complementarities stemming from immigration of workers with different skill levels.Immigration, Labor market, Wage distribution

Immigration and Distribution of Wages in Austria

Using detailed micro data on earnings and employment, I analyze the effects of immigration on the wage distribution of native male workers in Austria. I find that immigration has heterogeneous effects on wages, differing by type of work as well as the wage level. While there are small , but insignificant, negative effects for blue collar workers at the lower end of the wage distribution there are positive effects on wages at higher percentiles. For white collar workers positive effects occur at most percentiles. The estimated effects of immigration are relatively small in size and not significant for most workers. Overall it seems that most of potentially adverse effects of immigration on natives' wages are offset by complementarities stemming from immigration of workers with different skill levels.Immigration, Labor market, Wage distribution

Immigration and Distribution of Wages in Austria

Using detailed micro data on earnings and employment, I analyze the effects of immigration on the wage distribution of native male workers in Austria. I find that immigration has heterogeneous effects on wages, differing by type of work as well as the wage level. While there are small , but insignificant, negative effects for blue collar workers at the lower end of the wage distribution there are positive effects on wages at higher percentiles. For white collar workers positive effects occur at most percentiles. The estimated effects of immigration are relatively small in size and not significant for most workers. Overall it seems that most of potentially adverse effects of immigration on natives' wages are offset by complementarities stemming from immigration of workers with different skill levels

Immigration and Distribution of Wages in Austria

Using detailed micro data on earnings and employment, I analyze the effects of immigration on the wage distribution of native male workers in Austria. I find that immigration has heterogeneous effects on wages, differing by type of work as well as the wage level. While there are small , but insignificant, negative effects for blue collar workers at the lower end of the wage distribution there are positive effects on wages at higher percentiles. For white collar workers positive effects occur at most percentiles. The estimated effects of immigration are relatively small in size and not significant for most workers. Overall it seems that most of potentially adverse effects of immigration on natives' wages are offset by complementarities stemming from immigration of workers with different skill levels

Great Expectations: Past Wages and Unemployment Durations

Decomposing wages into worker and firm wage components, we find that firm-fixed components (firm rents) are sizeable parts of workers' wages. If workers can only imperfectly observe the extent of firm rents in their wages, they might be mislead about the overall wage distribution. Such misperceptions may lead to unjustified high reservation wages, resulting in overly long unemployment durations. We examine the infuence of previous wages on unemployment durations for workers after exogenous lay-offs and, using Austrian administrative data, we find that younger workers are, in fact, unemployed longer if they profited from high firm rents in the past. We interpret our findings as evidence for overconfidence generated by imperfectly observed productivity.Unemployment, Job Search, Overconfidence

Great Expectations: Past Wages and Unemployment Durations

Decomposing wages into worker and firm wage components, we find that firm-fixed components (firm rents) are sizeable parts of workers' wages. If workers can only imperfectly observe the extent of firm rents in their wages, they might be mislead about the overall wage distribution. Such misperceptions may lead to unjustified high reservation wages, resulting in overly long unemployment durations. We examine the infuence of previous wages on unemployment durations for workers after exogenous lay-offs and, using Austrian administrative data, we find that younger workers are, in fact, unemployed longer if they profited from high firm rents in the past. We interpret our findings as evidence for overconfidence generated by imperfectly observed productivity.Unemployment, Job Search, Overconfidence

Modeling demographics and life-cycle details in models of overlapping generations

Diese Diplomarbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Implementierung realistischer Demographie in Modellen überlappender Generationen (OLG-Modelle). Einfache OLG-Modelle basieren oft auf sehr restriktiven Annahmen bezüglich ihrer demographischen Struktur und können daher keine hinreichend realistischen Lebenszyklen abbilden. Angesichts der Veränderungen in der Altersstruktur der Bevölkerung industrialisierter Länder gewinnt die Berücksichtigung demographischer Analysen an Bedeutung. Lässt man diese Veränderungen außer Acht, kann eine ökonomische Analyse zu falschen bzw. unpräzisen Schlussfolgerungen führen. Deswegen sollten demographischer Realismus und detaillierte Lebenszyklen in Modellen berücksichtigt werden, die zur ökonomischen Analyse verwendet werden (Bommier und Lee, Seite 138). In dieser Diplomarbeit präsentiere und vergleiche ich verschieden OLG-Modelle im Hinblick auf deren Fähigkeit, realistische Demographie und Lebenszyklen abzubilden. Am Anfang steht dabei das einfache OLG Modell von Samuelson (1958) und Diamond (1965). Davon ausgehend präsentiere ich verschiedene Ansätze realistischere Demographie zu modellieren. Der erste Schritt zu mehr Realismus ist die Implementierung individueller Lebensunsicherheit im Modell von Blanchard (1989) und Yaari (1965), in dem eine konstante Sterbewahrscheinlichkeit angenommen wird. Die wenig zufrieden stellenden Ergebnisse einer altersunabhängigen Lebenserwartung und Konsumneigung werden im Modell von Gertler (1999) verbessert, in dem individuelle Lebensunsicherheit mit der Modellierung zweier Lebensabschnitte kombiniert wird. In ihrem Probabilistic Aging Modell (PA-Modell) verbessern Grafenhofer et al. (2006) Gertlers Modell, indem sie weitere Lebensabschnitte einführen und damit den Grad an Diversität zwischen den Menschen der Ökonomie erhöhen. Li und Tuljapurkar (2004) entwickeln ein Modell mit altersabhängigem Sterberisiko, indem sie die Wahrscheinlichkeitsverteilung des „Sterbealters“ in Blanchards Modell implementieren. Schließlich analysieren Hock und Weil (2006) die Wechselwirkung zwischen Fertilität und der Altersstruktur der Bevölkerung in einem einfachen OLG Modell, in dem der Übergang zwischen den Lebensabschnitten analog zum PA-Modell modelliert ist.This thesis deals with the issue of realistic demographic structures in Models of Overlapping Generations (OLG). Basic OLG models are often built on very restrictive demographic assumptions and are not able to represent realistic human economic life-cycle details to a high degree. Facing changing population age structures in most industrialized countries, the issue of proper demographic analysis becomes very important. Leaving these changes aside economic analysis can lead to false or imprecise conclusions. Therefore attention should be paid to realistic representation of demographics and life cycle details in models used for economic analysis (Bommier and Lee, page 138). In this thesis I present and compare different OLG frameworks focusing on their representation of demographics and life cycle details. Starting with the basic OLG model developed by Samuelson (1958) and Diamond (1965) I show different approaches of modelling realistic mortality patterns. The first step towards more realism in OLG models is the introduction of individual life time uncertainty by Blanchard (1989) and Yaari (1965) assuming a constant risk of death throughout life. Blanchard’s somewhat unsatisfying result of age-independent life-expectancy and consumption behaviour is improved by Gertler (1999) combining individual life time uncertainty with the introduction of two different life-stages. In their Probabilistic Aging model (PA Model) Grafenhofer et al. (2006) further improve Gertler’s framework to a higher number of life stages and therefore generating a higher degree of heterogeneity among people within the economy. Li and Tuljapurkar (2004) develop an age-dependent mortality approach by incorporating a probability distribution of age at death to Blanchard’s framework and are so able to let changing life expectancy and changing life time uncertainty affect individuals’ behaviour. Finally Hock and Weil (2006) analyze the interaction of fertility and the population age-structure using a very simple OLG model with probabilistic transition between different life stages

Der "Gleichstellungsindex Arbeitsmarkt": Eine Analyse des Geschlechterverhältnisses in der österreichischen Arbeitswelt. Zentrale Ergebnisse einer Studie im Auftrag des AMS Österreich

Die Stellung von Frauen und Männern in der Arbeitswelt im Hinblick auf ihre Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten, ihr Arbeitslosigkeitsrisiko und die individuellen Einkommenschancen wird von einer Vielzahl an Faktoren und ihrem Zusammenspiel beeinflusst. Dazu zählen etwa wirtschaftliche, konjunkturelle, strukturelle und regionale Aspekte sowie personenbezogene Merkmale, wie z.B. das Bildungsniveau oder die familiäre Situation. Eine solche Fülle an Detailinformation erlaubt jedoch keine rasche Überprüfung und Beobachtung von Veränderungen der Gleichstellung am Arbeitsmarkt. Vor diesem Hintergrund hat das WIFO in Abstimmung mit dem AMS den "Gleichstellungsindex Arbeitsmarkt" konzipiert, der 30 Indikatoren aus vier Themenfeldern - "Arbeit", "Einkommen", "Bildung" und "Familie" - zu einem Index bündelt, um in aggregierter Form die Arbeitsmarktlage von Frauen und Männern zu darzustellen. Das vorliegende AMS info skizziert die inhaltliche Ausrichtung dieses neu entwickelten Gleichstellungsindex und resümiert die zentralen Ergebnisse, die im Rahmen der Studie "Gleichstellungsindex Arbeitsmarkt. Eine Analyse des Geschlechterverhältnisses in Österreich" für die Abteilung Arbeitsmarktforschung und Berufsinformation und für die Abteilung Arbeitsmarktpolitik für Frauen des AMS Österreich vom Österreichischen Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitut (WIFO) zum Jahresanfang 2015 fertiggestellt worden ist. [...

Bacterial curli protein promotes the conversion of PAP248-286 into the amyloid SEVI: cross-seeding of dissimilar amyloid sequences

Fragments of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP248-286) in human semen dramatically increase HIV infection efficiency by increasing virus adhesion to target cells. PAP248-286 only enhances HIV infection in the form of amyloid aggregates termed SEVI (Semen Enhancer of Viral Infection), however monomeric PAP248-286 aggregates very slowly in isolation. It has therefore been suggested that SEVI fiber formation in vivo may be promoted by exogenous factors. We show here that a bacterially-produced extracellular amyloid (curli or Csg) acts as a catalytic agent for SEVI formation from PAP248-286 at low concentrations in vitro, producing fibers that retain the ability to enhance HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection. Kinetic analysis of the cross-seeding effect shows an unusual pattern. Cross-seeding PAP248-286 with curli only moderately affects the nucleation rate while significantly enhancing the growth of fibers from existing nuclei. This pattern is in contrast to most previous observations of cross-seeding, which show cross-seeding partially bypasses the nucleation step but has little effect on fiber elongation. Seeding other amyloidogenic proteins (IAPP (islet amyloid polypeptide) and Aβ1−40) with curli showed varied results. Curli cross-seeding decreased the lag-time of IAPP amyloid formation but strongly inhibited IAPP elongation. Curli cross-seeding exerted a complicated concentration dependent effect on Aβ1−40 fibrillogenesis kinetics. Combined, these results suggest that the interaction of amyloidogenic proteins with preformed fibers of a different type can take a variety of forms and is not limited to epitaxial nucleation between proteins of similar sequence. The ability of curli fibers to interact with proteins of dissimilar sequences suggests cross-seeding may be a more general phenomenon than previously supposed

ARDD 2020: from aging mechanisms to interventions

Aging is emerging as a druggable target with growing interest from academia, industry and investors. New technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced screening techniques, as well as a strong influence from the industry sector may lead to novel discoveries to treat age-related diseases. The present review summarizes presentations from the 7th Annual Aging Research and Drug Discovery (ARDD) meeting, held online on the 1st to 4th of September 2020. The meeting covered topics related to new methodologies to study aging, knowledge about basic mechanisms of longevity, latest interventional strategies to target the aging process as well as discussions about the impact of aging research on society and economy. More than 2000 participants and 65 speakers joined the meeting and we already look forward to an even larger meeting next year. Please mark your calendars for the 8th ARDD meeting that is scheduled for the 31st of August to 3rd of September, 2021, at Columbia University, USA