New technologies and the demand for medium qualified labour in Germany

The literature on skill-biased technological change concentrates on highly skilled and unskilled employees. It is unclear, however, if the employment opportunities of the majority of the labour force in Germany-employees with a degree from the dual apprenticeship system-increase or not. In addition, estimation and data problems are addressed in a topical and rich data set. The paper shows that innovation expenditures and investments in information and communication technologies lead to lower medium skilled employee shares, whereas other investments lead to higher shares. --Dual apprenticeship system,qualification demand,innovation,CLAD,SCLS

Laudatio für Herrn Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Hagen Wagner : anlässlich der Verleihung der Meigen-Medaille der Deutschen Gesellschaft für allgemeine und angewandte Entomologieam 27. Februar 2007 in Innsbruck

Der evolutionäre Erfolg der Pterygoten macht Fluginsekten auch in Binnengewässern zur nach Arten- und Individuenzahl dominierenden Gruppe. In unseren Gewässern, in denen Großmuscheln und Großkrebse ihre ursprüngliche Rolle nicht mehr spielen, stehen sie auch der Biomasse nach an der Spitze der Wirbellosen. Limnologen, die die Lebensgemeinschaft der Gewässer bearbeiten wollen, müssen darum gute Entomologen in ihren Reihen haben, denn die präzise Identifizierung der Organismen ist eine Grundvoraussetzung für sinnvolle ökologische Studien, welche das eigentliche Anliegen der Limnologen sind. Ende der vierziger Jahre wurde das ehrgeizige Vorhaben der limnologischen Gesamtbearbeitung des einzigen in ganzer Länge in den Westzonen liegenden größeren Flusssystems, Fulda und Weser, von fünf Göttinger Studenten in Angriff genommen. Das Schwergewicht der Arbeiten lag auf der 220 km langen Fulda in Osthessen, deren Erforschung seit der Gründung der Limnologischen Fluss-Station in Schlitz 1951 unter Leitung von Joachim Illies von Schlitz aus betrieben wurde. Ihm bot die Formenvielfalt der Wasserinsekten eine hervorragende Handhabe zur Abgrenzung..

Autökologische Studien an der Steinfliege Nemurella pictetii (Plecoptera: Nemouridae)

Die gemäßigten Zonen der Erde sind durch saisonale Schwankungen des Klimas gekennzeichnet. Dort vorkommende Organismen müssen sich diesen Bedingungen angepasst haben. Sie zeigen plastische Reaktionen bei wechselnden Umweltbedingungen, die sich beispielsweise in unterschiedlichen Entwicklungsgeschwindigkeiten und damit in unterschiedlich langen Lebenszyklen äußern können. Eine Art mit einem hoch variablen Lebenszyklus ist die Steinfliege Nemurella pictetii. Nicht nur zwischen Fundorten innerhalb ihres großen Verbreitungsgebiets, sondern auch an einem Fundort können die Lebenszyklen zwischen einzelnen Individuen stark differieren. Ziel der Arbeit war es, mögliche Ursachen dieser Variabilität aufzuzeigen. Hierzu wurde die Entwicklungsgeschwindigkeit der Larven dieser Art bei unterschiedlichen Umweltbedingungen mit Hilfe von Laborversuchen analysiert. Besondere Beachtung erfuhren die Faktoren Temperatur, Photoperiodik, Nahrungsqualität und intraspezifische Konkurrenz. Die Experimente zeigten, dass alle untersuchten Umweltfaktoren einen Einfluss auf die Entwicklungsgeschwindigkeit besitzen. Sie können sich in ihrer Wirkung gegenseitig verstärken oder abschwächen. Den größten Einfluss übt die Temperatur aus. Steigende Temperaturen führen zu einer beschleunigten Entwicklung. Eine opportunistische Ernährungsweise erlaubt es N. pictetii, vielfältige Nahrungsressourcen zu nutzen. Bei Verfügbarkeit hochwertiger Nahrung wird die Entwicklung beschleunigt. In Kombination mit intraspezifischen Konkurrenzsituationen kann es zur Aufspaltung der Larvenpopulation in mehrere Kohorten kommen. Die Reaktion der Larven auf die Photoperiodik ist von der Temperatur abhängig. Unter kurzen Tageslängen wird in Kombination mit hohen Temperaturen die Entwicklungsgeschwindigkeit gesteigert. Kurze Tageslängen und niedrige Temperaturen verzögern dagegen die Entwicklung. Dadurch können sich die Entwicklungsunterschiede zwischen einzelnen Kohorten weiter verstärken. Zusammenfassend betrachtet, zeichnet sich N. pictetii durch ihre generalistische Lebensweise, verbunden mit einer hohen Plastizität in ihrer Entwicklungsgeschwindigkeit aus. Dies ermöglicht ihr, auf wechselnde Umweltbedingungen schnell und flexibel reagieren zu können. Dadurch ist sie nicht nur in der Lage, große Teile Europas zu besiedeln, sondern auch die Zahl der Generationen pro Jahr den jeweiligen Umweltbedingungen anzupassen

Wie kann die durchschnittliche Ausbildungsquote in Deutschland korrekt gemessen werden?

This paper demonstrates that the share of apprentices exhibits a relatively strong seasonal pattern. This means that statistics on the share of apprentices such as those presented in official publications differ substantially from the actual yearly mean if they are measured on a date close to the minimum (end of July) or the maximum (around the turn of the year). In addition the deviation from the yearly mean differs between occupations at certain measurement dates because occupations have different apprenticeship durations. This paper proposes to calculate the yearly average on the basis of daily shares instead of certain measurement dates. It also argues to use daily accurate employment data from the German social security system. --Apprenticeship training,measurement

Role of labor demand in the labor market effects of a pension reform

This paper shows that labor demand plays an important role in the labor market reactions to a pension reform in Germany. Employers with a high share of older worker inflow compared with their younger worker inflow, employers in sectors with few investments in research and development, and employers in sectors with a high share of collective bargaining agreements allow their employees to stay employed longer after the reform. These employers offer their older employees partial retirement instead of forcing them into unemployment before early retirement because the older employees incur low substitution costs and high dismissal costs

The pear psylla in Oregon

Since its discovery in Oregon in 1946, the pear psylla, Psylla pyricola Forster, has become the most serious insect pest of pear. Damage to pear trees include the transmission of pear decline disease which has caused losses of trees, injection of a phytotoxic toxin resulting in tree shock and injury, and secretion of honeydew causing fruit marking. Aspects of pear psylla biology are discussed in relation to the pest's control. Natural enemies are known to exert some suppression of pear psylla populations late in the growing season but the application of insecticides, many of which the pest has become resistant to, is the only means presently available for reducing pear psylla populations to subeconomic levels.Published November 1972. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Computer Use and the Employment Status of Older Workers

In Germany, the labor market participation of older workers decreased sharply during the last three decades. A growing discrepancy between actual and statutory age of retirement indicates, that employers and employees extensively use the possibilities of early retirement provided by the German public retirement system. As this period is characterized by a rapid diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICT) across German firms, these changes are often cited as a possible reason for the trend of early withdrawal from employment, as older workers may fall behind in adapting to new computer-related skill requirements. It is often argued that the skills of older workers are outdated, making them more exposed to technology shocks than younger workers. Or that older workers have lower learning capabilities. In addition, the incentive to invest in training may be lower for both older workers themselves and their employers as they will have less time to capture the returns to the training investment. As a result productivity and wages of older workers who do not use a computer may be lowered when new technologies are implemented and incentives to retire earlier may be increased for older employees. In Germany, the wage structure provides incentives for employers to send older workers into retirement, as wages for older workers are relatively high and inflexible. This study tests the hypothesis that older workers who do not use a computer on the job have a higher probability of changing their employment status. The employment status is observed within a period of two years as well as within a period of four years. In the analysis, an employment status change means that workers who are employed full-time in 1997 are employed part-time, retired or unemployed in 1999 (2001 respectively). In a first step the determinants of computer use of all full-time workers in 1997 are studied. It turns out that the probability of using a computer declines for the oldest workers aged 55 to 64, and increases with the individual level of education and occupational status. A significantly positive relation is found to using a computer at home as well as to hourly wages. In addition, the results show that a higher level of average computer use in an occupation highly increases the probability of using a computer for older and younger persons working in that occupation. However, recent increases in the average of occupational computer use make older workers significantly less likely to use a computer at work. In a second step, the correlation between older workers' computer use and their employment status change is analyzed. There is a positive partial correlation observable between computer use at work and the probability of continuing to work full-time in the sample of older workers within a two-year as well as within a four-year period. This correlation vanishes when considering various demographic, job-and firm-related factors, however. That indicates that other factors than computer use determine the voluntary or involuntary decision of older workers to change their employment status. The study is based on the German Socio-Economic Panel data. Abstract This paper analyzes the determinants of computer use by male employees and estimates the impact of computer use on the employment status for older workers, based on individual data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP). In line with previous research on the diffusion of new technologies, a strong and negative relationship between the age of workers and computer use is found. The correlation of educational level and occupational status on computer use is significantly positive. However, the estimated impact of computer use on the change in employment status of older workers becomes insignificant when controlling for individual and firm-specific characteristics. JEL-Classification: J14, J26, O3

Letter: A Note on Neurosurgical Resection and Why We Need to Rethink Cutting

Peer Reviewe