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Werner Eichhorst

IZA, Germany

Policymakers need clear information based on empirical evidence. The IZA World of Labor provides a reliable body of state-of-the-art research

IZA World of Labor role

Author, Topic spokesperson

Current position

Director of Labor Policy Europe, IZA, Germany

Research interest

Labor market institutions, comparative labor market research, flexibility, European integration

Website

http://bit.ly/Eichhorst_IZApage

Positions/functions as a policy advisor

Regular consultant to International Labour Organization, EU institutions, German government and others

Past positions

Deputy Director of Labor Policy at IZA, 2007–2013

Qualifications

PhD Political Science, University of Konstanz, Germany, 1998

Selected publications

  • “The unexpected appearance of a new German model.” British Journal of Industrial Relations (Forthcoming).

  • “Youth unemployment in Europe: What to do about it?” Intereconomics 48:4 (2013): 230–235 (with H. Hinte and U. Rinne).

  • “Reforming German labour market institutions.” Journal of European Social Policy 21:1 (2011): 73–87 (with P. Marx).

  • “And then there were four ... How many (and which) measures of active labor market policy do we still need?” Applied Economics Quarterly 53:3 (2007): 243–272 (with K. F. Zimmermann).

  • “The interaction of labor market regulation and labor market policies in welfare state reform.” Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal 28:1 (2006): 1–41 (with R. Konle-Seidl).

article(s)

  • Does vocational training help young people find a (good) job?

    Systems combining structured learning on the job with classroom training can ease youth unemployment

    Werner Eichhorst, January 2015
    Youth unemployment has increased in many industrialized countries following the recent global recession. However, this reflects not only the cyclical shock, but also the crucial role of institutions in structuring the transition from school to work. Vocational training, in particular in a dual form combining vocational schooling and structured learning on-the-job, is often considered to be one of the most important policy solutions in combating youth unemployment. The evidence available supports this perception, but the institutional requirements of a successful training system also have to be taken into account from a policy perspective.
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  • Fixed-term contracts

    Are fixed-term contracts a stepping stone to a permanent job or a dead end?

    Werner Eichhorst, May 2014
    Fixed-term contracts have become a major form of employment in Europe. Available evidence about whether temporary jobs are a stepping stone to a permanent employment or are a dead end is mixed. The usefulness of these jobs depends on the institutional and economic environment. Fixed-term contracts can be a pathway from unemployment to employment, but their potential as a stepping stone to permanent employment is undercut if there is a strong degree of segmentation in labor markets. If that is the case, the labor flexibility motive of employers ends up dominating the screening function in offering a fixed-term contract.
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