Low Wages

The low-wage sector has repeatedly been the subject of controversial public debates. On the one hand, it is regarded as a precarious segment of the labour market. On the other hand, it is seen as an entry opportunity for people currently distant from the labour market and it can over time pave the way to higher paid employment.

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Jörg Schmidt ·
IW-Policy Paper Nr. 13 ·
5 December 2019

Unclear added value for equal charges

The introduction of the Transparency in Wage Structures Act (EntgTranspG) in 2017 in Germany aimed to enforce the principle of equal pay for women and men. The main focus was on the statistically unexplained part of the gender pay gap and the resulting view that the practical application of the equal pay principle had not been realised. The first evaluation of the law was presented in July 2019.

Holger Schäfer ·
IW-Trends Nr. 1 ·
25 March 2015

The Future of Temporary Agency Work Between Re-Regulation and Ongoing Qualitative Development

In recent years, temporary work has not been booming as strongly as it was in the years before the crisis of 2009. The question arises as to whether this flattening of growth is primarily a...