Our figure of the month
In today's information age we are surrounded by an almost infinite amount of data. Each month, the GWS-WiSo-team selects a particularly interesting economic and/or social topic or question from the multitude of available information, which is highlighted as the "number of the month". The current number as well as the earlier numbers of the month can be found here.
Industry loyalty or flexibility?
The last twelve years have been characterized by strong demand for German goods and services and, as a result, for labor, despite a shortage of unemployed workers.
On the supply side, the number of people in employment has risen during…
Energy-intensive industry in electricity bidding zones
When the wind blows, wind turbines produce electricity, electricity prices fall and demand for electricity rises – throughout Germany. However, since most of the electricity is produced in northern Germany and cannot be transmitted to…
New recruits for the construction industry – a current look at apprentice numbers in the building and finishing trades
Since 2022, the construction industry has been caught between low order numbers due to high construction and financing costs and the continuing high demand for additional living space. In May of this year, the Federal Institute for…
Green Jobs in 2024
Even after the turnaround, Germany faces numerous future-oriented challenges - not only in the areas of debt, migration and security policy that are often discussed in election campaigns. The ongoing transformation towards a socially and…
Trade and trade barriers – a look at India and Germany
The current trade policy challenges, particularly with regard to trade with the USA, are intensifying the call for the rapid ratification or conclusion of free trade agreements. Due to its rapid economic development and large population,…
Tomorrow's innovations: expenditure on research and development
Research and development (R&D) and thus innovation promote growth and therefore the competitiveness of a country. With this in mind, the EU's Lisbon Strategy has already set the target of increasing R&D expenditure to 3% of gross domestic…
Will greater affordability boost home ownership?
Germany ranks last in Europe in terms of home ownership. Well over half of Germans live in rented accommodation although most Germans would like to live in their property.[1] The low supply of living space and the high price level for…
Number of people in need of care in Germany more than doubles within 10 years
The latest figures from the care statistics show that there will be around 5.69 million people in need of care in Germany in 2023, a huge increase on previous years. People in need of care include all those who receive benefits from…
Expansion of production capacities for green hydrogen is lagging behind
In the update of the National Hydrogen Strategy, the target of 10 GW of electrolysis capacity for the production of green hydrogen by 2030 was confirmed [1]. However, according to the IEA's hydrogen project database as of October 2024,…
Is online retail making a comeback?
After more than a decade of sustained dynamic growth and additional impetus in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, growth in online retail came to a standstill in 2022. While the pandemic brought the industry growth rates of over 40%…