9. December '25
IAAEU at the European Winter Meeting of the Econometric Society 2025

The IAAEU participated in the European Winter Meeting of the Econometric Society, held in Nicosia, Cyprus, from 7 to 9 December 2025. The meeting brought together researchers from across the globe for the exchange of ideas and the presentation of new work in economics.

Our researcher Dr. Yue Huang presented the paper “Councils of contentment: Works councils and income perceptions”, co-authored with Laszlo Goerke and Sven Hartmann, both staff members of IAAEU. The study shows that employees working in establishments with a works council report significantly higher income satisfaction than comparable employees in non-co-determined workplaces. The analysis highlights income rank, perceived wage fairness, and working conditions as key mechanisms linking co-determination to income satisfaction.

We are grateful for the opportunity to share our research and to engage in discussions with colleagues throughout the meeting. A warm thank you to the conference organisers for hosting an excellent event.

8. December '25
New Publication in the Journal of Health Economics

Dr. Sven Hartmann and Dr. Andrea Bernini (University of Houston) examine the influence of Western media on smoking behavior in the former GDR in a new study. The study shows that women who had access to West German television before reunification later smoked more frequently and, in 2002, consumed on average 68 percent more cigarettes than women without such access.

While smoking rates among men remained largely unchanged, Western media shifted social norms around smoking particularly for women. The long-term consequences are still visible today in the form of higher health care costs in regions that previously received West German television. The findings highlight that media content can have lasting effects on health behavior.

Andrea Bernini und Sven Hartmann, The Effect of West German Television on Smoking and Health: A Natural Experiment from German Reunification, Journal of Health Economics, 104: 103077

6. December '25
IAAEU at the GLO Conference

This year's Global Labour Organization (GLO) conference took place as a hybrid event from December 3 to 5. Björn Becker participated virtually, while Laszlo Goerke attended the meeting in Bonn in person.

Björn Becker kicked things off with his project, "Higher Education, Lower Satisfaction: Hypogamy and Traditional Norms in Japan," presented during the online Job Market Session Asia, which took place early Wednesday morning. The study explores how traditional norms influence the satisfaction of women who have a higher level of education than their husbands.

At the Science Center Bonn, Laszlo Goerke talked about "Councils of Contentment: Works Councils and Income Perceptions," an investigation co-authored by Yue Huang and Sven Hartmann also working at the IAAEU. The three researchers investigate how works councils influence employee satisfaction with their income.

3. December '25
Successful Defense

Dr. Theresa Geißler successfully completed her doctoral studies on December 3, 2025. She was awarded the title Dr. rer. pol. for her dissertation entitled "From Education to Employment: Understanding education mismatch using the case of Germany." Almost simultaneously with her outstanding defense, a chapter of her dissertation on Educational Mismatch and Trade Union Membership was published in the journal Industrial Relations.

Together with her examiners, Prof. Dr. Katrin Muehlfeld, Chair of Management, Organization, and Human Resources, and Prof. Dr. Laszlo Goerke, IAAEU and Chair of Personnel Economics, as well as Prof. Dr. Matthias Wolz, Chair of Accounting and Auditing, who stepped in at short notice to preside over the examination committee, her former colleagues are delighted that Dr. Theresa Geißler has attained the degree, congratulate her most sincerealy on her achievements and wish her all the best for her next career steps.

27. November '25
Second Mainz–Trier Workshop on Labour Economics

The second Mainz-Trier Workshop on Labour Economics took place at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz on November 27 and 28, 2025. During the workshop, researchers from the Chair of Applied Statistics and Econometrics, headed by Professor Thorsten Schank, and staff members from the IAAEU and the Chair of Personnel Economics, headed by Professor Laszlo Goerke at Trier University, presented their latest research findings.

Each presentation was followed by intensive and constructive discussions. The audience provided the speakers with numerous valuable suggestions and ideas for the further development of their projects. The participants from Trier discussed topics such as family income management, income satisfaction and labour market institutions, as well as the relative age of pupils and eating habits.

26. November '25
Successful Defense

In 2021, Marco Clemens began his doctoral studies and started working at the IAAEU. On November 26, 2025, he successfully completed his doctorate. Following an outstanding oral defense, Dr. Marco Clemens was awarded the title Dr. rer. pol. for his dissertation "Essays on Income, Wellbeing, and the Labour Market."

Together with his examiners, Prof. Jan Sauermann of the Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy (IFAU) in Uppsala, Sweden, who participated online, and Prof. Dr. Laszlo Goerke (IAAEU and University of Trier), as well as the chair of the examination committee, Dr. Axel Adam-Müller, their former colleagues congratulate Dr. Marco Clemens on the successful completion of his doctoral studies.

20. November '25
Research stay at the University College London

For the last month and a half, Dr. Sven Hartmann spent his time on a research visit at University College London. He stayed at the Social Research Institute at the UCL, hosted by Alex Bryson.

During this visit, Sven Hartmann attended numerous seminar lectures and generated new research ideas in discussions with colleagues at the UCL. Together with his co-author from Oxford, he developed a new project, about which more will be reported soon.

18. November '25
Prof. Daniel Ulber at the workshop: Regulating Working Time in the Digital Era

On 18 November, Prof. Daniel Ulber took part in the workshop “Regulating Working Time in the Digital Era” at the Universiteit van Amsterdam. The event focused on the challenges and potential of regulating working time in the context of digitalisation, platform work, and increasing hyperconnectivity.

Prof. Daniel Ulber gave a presentation on ‘Digitalisation and working time law: contemporary challenges and solutions’ and highlighted unresolved legal issues relating to digitalisation in the context of the historical development of the Working Time Directive. While the Directive is based on sound fundamental assumptions from an occupational health perspective, it is increasingly unable to take account of the new forms of work and employment opportunities created by the digitalisation of the world of work. The European Court of Justice has partially addressed this problem through consistent case law on the concept of rest periods and a restrictive interpretation of the exceptions and derogations in the Directive.

Nevertheless, according to Prof. Ulber modernisation should be considered. This does not necessarily involve more or less protection but should simply address the changes in the world of work and solve the associated regulatory problems.

Many thanks to Nuna Zekić for hosting the conference and to everyone who helped organise it!

17. & 18. November '25
Jaqueline Stein at the conference "Armut und Recht" at the WZB

On November 17 and 18, Jaqueline Stein took part in the interdisciplinary conference "Armut und Recht," which was jointly organized by the German Institute for Human Rights and the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB).

The conference focused on key questions concerning the relationship between law and poverty: How does the law in Germany affect people affected by poverty? Which legal structures promote exclusion and marginalization? And what potential does the law offer for combating poverty structurally?

On November 18, Jaqueline Stein spoke about her research on prisoner labor and labor rights in the prison system. She particularly highlighted how legal exclusions exacerbate and perpetuate poverty among prisoners—not only during their incarceration, but also beyond. A central theme was the critical examination of this situation in the context of the constitutional requirement for rehabilitation.

We would like to express our special thanks to the two initiators, Lê Phan-Warnke and Tanja Herklotz, for their outstanding organization of this format.

15. & 16. November '25
Josephine Ende at the workshop: Writing and Publishing in the Law of the ECHR and other International Human Rights Systems

On 15 and 16 November, Josephine Ende took part in the workshop “Writing and Publishing in the Law of the ECHR and other International Human Rights Systems” at the University of Cologne. The workshop was intended for early-career researchers specialising in European human rights law and covered the entire process of writing and publishing academic texts in the field of human rights.

Josephine Ende gained many important insights from the workshop panels and discussions with colleagues that are valuable for her dissertation and her future career in research.

Many thanks to Angelika Nußberger for hosting the workshop and to everyone who helped organise it!

10. & 11. November '25
Prof. Daniel Ulber at the conference Regulating Minimum Wages: Between the EU and the Member States

On November 10 and 11, Prof. Daniel Ulber took part in the conference “Regulating Minimum Wages: Between the EU and the Member States” at the University of Luxembourg. The event focused on current challenges and future developments in minimum wage regulation at the intersection of European and national labor law.

On November 10, Prof. Ulber joined Nicola Countouris (UCL London) and Emanuele Menegatti (University of Bologna) in a panel discussion entitled “The EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages: Whose Competence?”, moderated by Elisabeth Brameshuber (University of Vienna). The discussion focused in particular on questions of the division of competences between the European Union and the member states and their significance for an effective minimum wage policy. The event was highly relevant, as it took place while the European Court of Justice was delivering its long-awaited ruling in the Denmark/Commission case. The participants watched the ruling being announced via live stream and discussed it immediately afterwards.

Many thanks to Luca Ratti for hosting the conference and everyone who helped organize it!

24. October '25
Prof. Daniel Ulber at the conference “Inequality in Collective Bargaining Agreements” in Bayreuth

On October 24, Prof. Daniel Ulber took part in the conference “Inequality in Collective Agreements – On the ‘Decision of the Century’ by the Federal Constitutional Court.” Prof. Dr. Adam Sagan from the University of Bayreuth and Inken Gallner, President of the Federal Labor Court, organized the conference and chaired the day's proceedings. The conference was very well attended, and a large number of representatives from the labor courts participated actively in the discussions.

In his presentation, Prof. Daniel Ulber focused on the legal consequences of unequal collective bargaining standards and the primary corrective authority of the parties to collective agreements. The presentation highlighted the practical consequences of the decision and addressed in particular the resulting problems in judicial legal protection.

Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Monika Schlachter (former director of the IAAEU), Prof. Dr. Martin Eifert (judge at the Federal Constitutional Court), and Prof. Dr. Stefan Greiner (University of Bonn) had already provided input earlier in the day.

Afterwards, social partners Dr. Grégory Garloff (Food, Beverages and Catering Union (NGG)) and Roland Wolf (BDA | Confederation of German Employers' Associations) discussed the significance of the decision. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Katja Gelinsky LL.M. (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung). Many thanks to everyone who helped organize this conference!

10. October '25
IAAEU at the Annual Conference of the Verein für Socialpolitik 2025

IAAEU participated in the Annual Conference of the Verein für Socialpolitik (VfS), held in Cologne from 14 to 17 September. The Annual Meetings of the VfS are among the largest and most prestigious economic conferences in Europe, bringing together scholars from a wide range of fields.

At the conference, our researcher Dr. Yue Huang presented the paper “Confucius Institutes and Labor Market Outcomes of Chinese Immigrants in the United States”, co-authored with Jonas Feld, a former staff member of IAAEU. The study investigates how the establishment of Confucius Institutes — an important element of China’s cultural diplomacy — is associated with the labor market performance of Chinese immigrants in the U.S.

We are grateful for the opportunity to share our research and to engage in insightful discussions with colleagues at this year’s conference.

16. to 18. September '25
Prof. Daniel Ulber at the IREC Conference in Luxembourg

From 16 to 18 September, Prof. Daniel Ulber took part in the conference “Industrial Relations in a Changing World of Work” at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER). At the conference, participants discussed current challenges for labor relations in Europe in theme-specific panels and plenary debates. These include, among other things, the role of AI in the context of ongoing digitalization, climate change, and rising inflation.

On the second day of the conference, Prof. Daniel Ulber, together with other colleagues, took part in a discussion panel on the role of social partners in the context of the Adequate Minimum Wage Directive.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the organization of this enriching conference!

16. & 17. September '25
Doctoral seminar at the IAAEU

On September 16 and 17, Josephine Ende and Ali Noor Sheikh from the Institute for Labor Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU) took part in Prof. Dr. Ulber's doctoral seminar. For two days, the focus was on the content and methodology of dissertation projects – from finding a topic to submitting the final thesis.

At the beginning, the participants presented their research projects before discussing key challenges such as developing a common thread or time management. A “problem workshop” provided an opportunity to discuss individual questions and work out solutions together. In addition, workshops on various topics provided an opportunity to exchange ideas on questions and problems encountered in the preparation of the dissertation.

After extensive renovations, the seminar was once again able to take place on the institute's premises.
The seminar makes a valuable contribution to the further development of dissertation projects and promotes academic exchange among doctoral students. It is now intended to provide regular opportunities for exchange.

12. September '25
Björn Becker at the GRAPE Gender Gaps Conference

On 12 and 13 September, Björn Becker participated in the GRAPE Gender Gaps Conference in Warsaw, which offered a full programme that brought together researchers from all over Europe in the Polish capital.

Björn Becker presented his joint project with Dr. Yue Huang: ‘I manage the money – You spend it: Income Management and Expenditure in Japan’. Both authors would like to thank the participants for their helpful comments.

We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Lucas van der Velde for organising this great event, as well as to our former colleague Joanna Tyrowicz, who is the director of the GRAPE Institute in Warsaw.

03. September '25
Review of the conference “Protection against discrimination and collective bargaining autonomy”

On September 3, 2025, the conference on discrimination protection and collective bargaining autonomy took place at the IAAEU in Trier. Practitioners and academics spent a day discussing the consequences of the landmark decision by the Federal Constitutional Court on the binding nature of Article 3(1) of the German Basic Law (GG) on the parties to collective agreements.

Prof. Dr. Ulber from the IAAEU and Matthias Hambach, President of the Rhineland-Palatinate Regional Labor Court, opened the conference on “Discrimination Protection and Collective Bargaining Autonomy.”
The first presentations focused on the binding nature of fundamental rights for the parties to collective agreements and the consequences of the ruling for labor court proceedings:

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Däubler (University of Bremen, retired) spoke on the issues of the binding nature of fundamental rights for trade unions and employers' associations in setting collective bargaining standards and the consequences of the ruling for the judicial review of collective agreements.

Dr. Bertram Zwanziger (former presiding judge, Federal Labor Court) analyzed the procedural consequences of the night work ruling for labor court proceedings. This reveals the abundance of procedural and practical follow-up problems that the Federal Constitutional Court leaves partly open and partly does not address at all in its ruling. Among other things, Zwanziger argued that it should be borne in mind that collective agreements may still contain arbitrary differentiations, even if the Federal Constitutional Court has tended to restrict constitutional protection. In such cases, however, suspension (“primary corrective power”) for correction by the parties to the collective agreement should in principle only be carried out by the Federal Labor Court.

Both presentations were discussed intensively, with particular focus on the question of how the requirements of the decision can be implemented in judicial practice.

The second part of the conference “Discrimination Protection and Collective Bargaining Autonomy” was devoted to discrimination protection under EU law and the perspectives of the social partners.

Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Monika Schlachter (University of Trier, retired) explained how the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court should be assessed in light of the European legal framework. She emphasized that the decision cannot be applied in the area of EU law prohibiting discrimination because this would be incompatible with the standards of review applied by the European Court of Justice. However, she argued that these standards of review could coexist.

The decision was then assessed by the social partners: Prof. Dr. Nadine Brandl (United Services Union (ver.di) Federal Administration) and Roland Wolf (BDA | Confederation of German Employers' Associations) clarified the practical implications for collective bargaining practice from the perspective of trade unions and employers. There was unanimous agreement that the Federal Constitutional Court's desire to protect collective bargaining autonomy was positive. The wording of the decision was viewed critically in some quarters. There was controversy over the assessment of the intensity of control and, in particular, the applicability of the decision in the area of prohibitions of discrimination determined by EU law.

Prof. Dr. Ulber (IAAEU) gave the closing remarks, summarizing the main points of discussion and emphasizing the importance of the topic for academia and practice. Many thanks to all participants and speakers who made their way to Trier and contributed to the exchange.

06. August '25
Diskriminierungsschutz und Tarifautonomie - Meeting of the IAAEU on 3 September 2025

The IAAEU is organising a conference dealing with the practical consequences of the Federal Constitutional Court's decision on night work bonuses.
The starting point of the conference is the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court of 11 December 2024 on unequal treatment due to a collective agreement provision on the granting of night work bonuses. The Federal Constitutional Court clarified the highly controversial question of whether the parties to collective agreements are bound by fundamental rights. The conference will look at the consequences of the decision and how it should be viewed in the context of national and European law.

The programme is available here. Registration is possible via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

30. July '25
Yue Huang at the 23rd ISQOLS Conference in Luxembourg

From July 22 to 25, Dr. Yue Huang participated in the 23rd Annual Conference and 30th Anniversary of the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS), held in Luxembourg. This year's theme, "Redefining Progress: Achieving Sustainable Well-Being for All", brought together researchers and practitioners from around the world for four days of engaging discussions and inspiring keynote speeches.
On Thursday, Dr. Yue Huang presented her paper "Industrial Relations and Working from Home in Germany during the COVID-19 Pandemic", a joint project with Prof. Laszlo Goerke (Director of IAAEU), Dr. Markus Grabka (DIW Berlin), and Viola Hilbert (Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs).
Many thanks to the organizers and to ISQOLS for hosting such a successful conference.

08. July '25
Interdisciplinary Research Workshop of the IAAEU

On July 8, 2025, an interdisciplinary research workshop was held at the IAAEU by the institute's two research groups. The aim of the event was to identify topics for future joint projects and lay the foundations for increased interdisciplinary cooperation. In the first block, a current economic contribution on the effect of co-determination in the workplace on wage satisfaction was presented and discussed together. The analysis shows a positive correlation between the presence of a works council and income satisfaction. In the subsequent discussion, approaches for further legal and economic exploitation were discussed, for example, by translating legal co-determination factors into economic variables. The second block focused on the analysis of the coalition agreement. The aim was to identify socially relevant topics with interdisciplinary research and publication potential, including working time law, equality, child poverty, and the effectiveness of collective bargaining agreements. We are already looking forward to the next research workshop. This interdisciplinary discussion forum is to take place regularly in the future and strengthen joint research work.

01. July '25
Prof. Dr. Ulber at the seventh Labor Law Research Network Conference in Bangkok

From June 29 to July 1, Prof. Dr. Ulber from the IAAEU took part in the seventh Labour Law Research Network (LLRN) conference in Bangkok.
The biennial LLRN conference brings together labor law scholars from around the world with the aim of promoting interdisciplinary exchange and discussing current challenges of labor law in a global context.

This year's conference provided an impressive platform for dialogue between research, policy and practice - with a special focus on Asia and topics of global relevance, including:

• Platform work, AI und technologischer Wandel
• Lieferkettenregulierung & transnationale Governance
• Migration, prekäre Beschäftigung & soziale Ungleichheit
• Arbeitsrecht und Entwicklung im Globalen Süden
• Kritische und interdisziplinäre methodische Ansätze

On Monday, Prof. Dr. Ulber spoke on the panel "Time's Up! Rethinking Standards in Boundaryless Work" on: "Permanent Availability and Working Time Law - Function Change in Working Time Law in the Digital Age". A big thank you to everyone who helped organize this wonderful conference! We are already looking forward to the next LLRN meeting in two years' time.
Further information: llrn7bangkok

26. June '25
Acceptance for publication in the Journal of Happiness Studies

In a new study, which is accepted for publication in the Journal of Happiness Studies, Theresa Geißler investigates whether the established negative correlation between overeducation and job satisfaction also exists for public sector employees.
In fact, the study shows that the negative correlation in Germany can only be observed for employees in the private sector, whereas a positive correlation exists in the sample of public sector employees. This positive correlation can be observed predominantly for people with a high family orientation and altruistic motivation.

20. June '25
TriECON goes to Luxembourg

On June 5, the IAAEU and the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) jointly organised a workshop on Labour and Personnel Economics. With this event, the IAAEU continues its TriECON series of workshops. Thus far, they have all taken place at the IAAEU's premises on Campus II at Trier University. The joint IAAEU and LISER workshop is a novelty. It is the first to occur abroad, more specifically at the impressive Belval-campus of the University of Luxembourg at Esch-sur-Alzette.

The workshop featured six presentations, three by staff members of the IAAEU and three further by young researchers from LISER and the University of Luxembourg. The participants discussed the papers intensively, providing the presenters with many constructive and helpful comments for developing their analyses further.

From the IAAEU, Björn Becker talked about "Higher Education, Lower Satisfaction - Hypogamy and Traditional Norms in Japan“, Theresa Geißler asked "Who Bears the Brunt?" analysing "Tuition Fees and Educational Mismatch“, and Yue Huang, in a joint project with Laszlo Goerke, Markus Grabka and Viola Hilbert, looked at "Industrial Relations and Working from Home in Germany During the Covid-19 Pandemic“.

Link to Program

The joint workshop represents a further step to intensify the cooperation between the IAAEU and LISER, whose director of the Labour Market Department, Prof. Dr. Christina Gathmann, is also member of the IAAEU's Board of Trustees.

Link to the Workshop Series

10. June '25
IAAEU Trialogue "The coalition agreement in light of the minimum wage directive"

On June 10, the first IAAEU Trialogue took place with our guest Prof. Dr. Thomas Klein on the topic of “Minimum wage policy between Brussels and Berlin: The coalition agreement in light of the minimum wage directive.”

In the future, the IAAEU will host a series of lectures on current political projects relating to labor law and labor relations in the European Union.

The EU Minimum Wage Directive (EU Directive 2022/2041) is currently being heard before the European Court of Justice (ECJ). This was prompted by an action for annulment brought by Denmark in early 2023. The Danish government fears that the regulation could potentially undermine national wage-setting systems. Advocate General Emiliou has also endorsed this view, which is why the directive could now be on the verge of being overturned.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Klein commented in particular on the implementation of the directive and the problems of minimum wage determination in Germany. He noted that it is particularly striking that the German Minimum Wage Commission's procedure is not conducted on an equal footing because the trade unions have no leverage at their disposal. In addition, he said, the national implementation of the directive has considerable shortcomings, which the current coalition agreement does not promise to remedy.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Klein therefore advocates a comprehensive reform of the German minimum wage system. During the discussion, other interesting aspects were shared and discussed, such as how trade unions could be given greater influence over minimum wage setting.

22. May '25
Lecture series „IAAEU-Trialog – Arbeitsrecht und Arbeitsbeziehungen in Europa“

On June 10, 2025, starting at 5:30 pm, the first lecture of the new lecture series "IAAEU-Trialog: Arbeitsrecht und Arbeitsbeziehungen in Europa" will take place in room N2 on Campus I of Trier University. Prof. Dr. Thomas Klein (htw saar) wird zur “Mindestlohngestaltung zwischen Brüssel und Berlin: Der Koalitionsvertrag im Lichte der Mindestlohnrichtlinie” referieren. In dem Vortrag geht es um die EU-Mindestlohnrichtlinie, die aktuellen (nationalen) Regelungen zum gesetzlichen Mindestlohn sowie darum, inwiefern die europäischen Vorgaben im aktuellen Koalitionsvertrag Berücksichtigung finden. The event offers a well-founded classification of the legal leeway and limits in minimum wage policy.

You are cordially invited!

06. May '25
Visiting Scholars from Universidade de Lisboa at the IAAEU

The Institute for Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU) recently welcomed three visiting researchers from the Universidade de Lisboa.
Professor Pedro Madeira de Brito gave a lecture titled “The Interpretation of Collective Agreements in Portugal”. Professor Guilherme Machado Dray spoke on “Employment at will vs. Job Security: the clash that divides Western Employment Law”. Guilherme Grillo presented his research on “Judicial Intervention in Collective Agreements in Brazil”.

A lively and insightful exchange followed, focusing on the differences and similarities between German, Portuguese, and Brazilian labour law, offering valuable perspectives on diverse legal systems and traditions.

In addition, the guests and their students made extensive use of the IAAEU library for their academic research.

28. April '25
17th Workshop on Labor Economics 2025

The 17th edition of the Workshop on Labor Economics took place on April 3rd and 4th at the IAAEU. Once again, we received around 100 submissions for the conference, from which we created a program with 35 presentations and posters. We were particularly pleased to welcome researchers from 16 countries. The main topics of the projects presented included labor market, personnel, education, and migration economics.
For the second time, the program also included special sessions on “Counterfactual Impact Evaluation”, which were held jointly with the Competence Center on Microeconomic Evaluation of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. Fabio Berton, representing the JRC, once again supported these sessions.

In addition to the presentations, the conference offered its participants two highlights: Prof. Dr. Ziebarth (Universität Mannheim/ZEW) provided the content-related highlight with his keynote speech on “The Economics of Sick Leave” on Thursday afternoon. This was followed by the second highlight: Our joint evening program. First, we had the opportunity to visit the historic cellars of the Bischöfliche Weingüter. We then finished the first day of the conference with a dinner together in the Weinwirtschaft Friedrich Wilhelm. This part of the workshop offered additional opportunities for exchange and networking.
The 17th Workshop on Labor Economics was a great success. We want to thank all participants and look forward to the 18th edition in spring 2026.

01. April '25
Theresa Geißler and Laszlo Goerke investigate trade union membership and educational mismatch

Members of a trade union enjoy a range of benefits compared to employees who do not belong to a labor representation. In a new study, forthcoming in Industrial Relations, Theresa Geißler and Laszlo Goerke document another advantage of membership. Their study is the first to show for Germany that union members are less likely to be overqualified—that is, they are less likely to hold a job that requires fewer qualifications than they possess. Additionally, union members are more likely to work in a position for which they are appropriately qualified.

The analyses by the two researchers from the IAAEU and the Trier University suggest that these advantages of union membership stem from a stronger bargaining position rather than from informational advantages. In 2023, Theresa Geißler received the PhD Paper Award at the yearly conference of the International Network for Economic Research for this project.

27. March '25
New publication in the journal International Labor Rights Case Law

In the current issue of the journal International Labor Rights Case Law, a decision note written by Prof. Dr. Ulber and Georg Kuhs on the judgment of the ECJ of 26.9.2024 in the Energotehnica case (C-792/22) has been published.

In the Energotehnica ruling, the ECJ emphasizes several central principles of EU law. It emphasizes that the right to be heard enshrined in Art. 47 CFR is more than a mere formality - affected parties must have the opportunity to actually present their arguments before a court decision is issued. In addition, the ECJ once again reaffirms the primacy of Union law: national courts must apply Union law - even if this conflicts with the case law of their own constitutional court. Finally, the ruling sends another clear signal for the independence of the judiciary. The ECJ makes it unmistakably clear that disciplinary proceedings against judges may not be used to prevent the application of (Union) law. The ruling therefore not only strengthens the enforcement of Union law, but also the independence of the courts under the rule of law.

Prof. Dr. Ulber and Georg Kuhs, Procedural Effects of the Principle of Effectiveness in EU Law, ILaRC 2025, 138-143

24. March '25
Presentation at Masaryk University

On March 13, Dr. Sven Hartmann gave a talk as part of the Research Seminar Series at Masaryk University in Brno.
His presentation, titled "Gender Inequality in Smoking: The Impact of West German Television on East Germany", explored the influence of media exposure on smoking behavior in East Germany. This research is conducted in collaboration with Andrea Bernini from the University of Oxford.

17. March '25
Successful disputation

On 11.3.2025, Dr. Jonas Feld successfully completed his doctorate.
After an excellent disputation, he was awarded the title Dr. rer.pol. for his “Essays in Labor Mobility and Workplace Technological Change”.
Together with the reviewers, Prof. Michel Beine PhD (Université du Luxembourg) and Prof. Dr. Laszlo Goerke (IAAEU und Universität Trier), as well as the Chair of the Examination Committee, Prof. Dr. Xenia Matschke, the colleagues are delighted about the completion of the doctoral procedure and warmly congratulate him upon his achievement.

13. March '25
Participation in the BeWell Conference 2025 in Berlin

On February 24–25, 2025, Dr. Yue Huang participated in the annual conference of the Berlin Network for Research on Well-Being (BeWell) in Berlin. The event brought together leading researchers from various countries and provided a valuable platform for academic exchange in the field of well-being.

As part of the conference, Yue Huang presented a joint project with Prof. Laszlo Goerke (Director of IAAEU), Dr. Markus Grabka, and Viola Hilbert (both from DIW Berlin) on the topic “Industrial Relations and Working from Home in Germany during the COVID-19 Pandemic”.

We extend our gratitude to the organizers for an inspiring conference and look forward to the next BeWell meeting in Halle.

10.  March '25
New Publication in Labour Economics

Marco Clemens (IAAEU and Trier University) and Jan Sauermann (IFAU) examine how the introduction of performance-based pay affects employee productivity in a large telecommunications company.
The study finds no significant effect on performance on average. However, high-skilled workers respond positively to performance-based pay, while low-skilled workers show no improvement in productivity and even reduce work speed. Additionally, employees reduce their overtime hours, possibly to avoid the negative effects of long working hours.

Marco Clemens and Jan Sauermann, Making the right call: The heterogeneous effects of individual performance pay on productivity, Labour Economics, 2025, 102694.

25 & 26. February '25
Equality Forum 2025

On February 25 and 26, the Hans Böckler Foundation's Equality Forum 2025 took place in Berlin with the theme “Time for Continuing Education!” Prof. Daniel Ulber and Dr. Yvonne Lott gave the opening speeches. The topic of his presentation was “Gender-equitable continuing education – legal framework and instruments.” This was followed by a panel discussion with Ernesto Klengel, Dr. Yvonne Lott, Eileen Peters, and Magdalena Polloczek from the WSI on the topic “It does exist! The gender gap in continuing education in companies.”

11. February '25
Interdisciplinary Research Workshop of the IAAEU

On 11 February, the interdisciplinary research workshop of the IAAEU took place, an old format now under a new name. The directors Prof. Dr. Laszlo Goerke and Prof. Dr. Daniel Ulber as well as Theresa Geißler, Jana Hagenmüller, Dr. Yue Huang, Ali Noor Sheikh and Jaqueline Stein presented current projects and project ideas addressing legal and economic research questions.

Topics included, among others, “10 Years of Statutory Minimum Wage in Germany: Legal Forecasts and Economic Reality” and “Industrial Relations, Worker Well-Being, and Home Office: Insights from Studies on Germany”.

The research workshop will now be continued on a regular basis and aims to strengthen collaborative research.

10.  February '25
IAAEU Lecture Series „European and International Labour Law“

On February 19, 2025 the IAAEU will host several short lectures by guest researchers from the Universidade de Lisbon at 4 p.m. s.t. in room C10.
The event is the prelude of the new IAAEU lecture series “European and International Labor Law”, which insights into current issues and challenges of labor law at European and international level.
The speakers are guest researchers from the Universidade de Lisboa: Prof. Pedro Madeira de Brito, Prof. Guilherme Machado Dray and Guilherme Grillo. They will give lectures on current topics of international collective labor law and comparative law.
You are cordially invited!

24.  January '25
Sven Hartmann at the DIW Berlin

On January 22, Sven Hartmann gave a talk as part of the SOEP Brownbag lecture series at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) titled “Perceived Climate Impacts and Environmental Action". The study examines how perceptions of climate change impacts influence individual environmental behavior. The project is being developed in collaboration with Daniel Graeber, a researcher at SOEP.

In addition to the lecture, Sven Hartmann spent the week of January 20–24 at DIW Berlin for a research stay, engaging with colleagues at SOEP and working on joint projects.

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