With the working world constantly changing, those active in the labour market face ever new challenges that can only be successfully overcome by concerted action. How companies and their workforces shape their local working environment and working conditions is in many places determined by the complex institutional structures of collective labour relations. These are in turn the result of negotiations between the employers' associations and trade unions at the sectoral and regional level and by management and co-determination bodies at the level of the establishment.
Labour Economics and Collective Bargaining Policy
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@iwkoeln.de
Helena Bach
Senior Economist for wage policy and labor relations
Tel: +49 221 4981-665 Mail: bach View profile 
@iwkoeln.de Lennart Eckle
Lennart Eckle
Economist for collective bargaining policy and labor relations
Tel: +49 221 4981-535 Mail: eckle View profile 
@iwkoeln.de
Dr. Andrea Hammermann
Senior Economist for Personnel Economics
Tel: +49 221 4981-314 Mail: hammermann View profile 
@iwkoeln.de Hagen Lesch
Dr. Hagen Lesch
Head of Labour Economics and Collective Bargaining Policy Research Unit
Tel: +49 221 4981-778 Mail: lesch View profile 
@iwkoeln.de Holger Schäfer
Holger Schäfer
Senior Economist for Labor Market Economics
Tel: +49 30 27877-124 Mail: Schaefer.holger View profile 
@iwkoeln.de
Christoph Schröder
Senior Economist for Wage Policy and Labor Relations
Tel: +49 221 4981-773 Mail: schroeder.christoph View profile 
@iwkoeln.de Stefanie Seele
Dr. Stefanie Seele
Senior Economist for Labor Market Economics
Tel: +49 30 27877-176 Mail: seele View profile 
@iwkoeln.de Oliver Stettes
Dr. Oliver Stettes
Head of Labour Economics and Collective Bargaining Policy Research Unit
Tel: +49 221 4981-697 Mail: stettes View profile 
@iwkoeln.de
Dr. Sandra Vogel
Senior Economist for Wage Policy and Labor Relations
Tel: +49 221 4981-746 Mail: sandra.vogelAll news
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Event
14. October 2026
Expert Workshop on the Industrial Accelerator Act
The German Economic Institute (IW) and Frontier Economics are pleased to invite you to a rapporteur & stakeholder workshop on the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) in Brussels.
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IW-Trends
No. 3
29. September 2026
The Honesty-Attitude-Behavior Gap: A Cross-Country Comparison
Honesty reduces transaction costs and is therefore a prerequisite for effective economic cooperation.
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Event
28. September 2026
Online-Veranstaltungsreihe „Von Brüssel nach Berlin”: Regionalentwicklung und Industriepolitik
Wir laden Sie herzlich zu einer weiteren Online-Veranstaltung unserer Veranstaltungsreihe „Von Brüssel nach Berlin“ ein. Mit ihr wollen wir in loser Folge Themen aus der europäischen in die deutsche Hauptstadt tragen.
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External Publication
16. September 2026
Complementary Capabilities for Circular Practices: Firm-Level Evidence in Germany on the Role of Digitalization and Innovation
The transition to a circular economy (CE) requires firms to reconfigure business models, processes and capabilities.
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IW-Report
No. 38
11. September 2026
Making Apprenticeships a Success: From Marketing to Hiring
In-company vocational training is a key factor in securing skilled labour. The first step in investing in future employees is to approach and recruit new apprentices. For many companies, filling the apprenticeship positions they offer is a challenge.