Diaspora Economics

Posted on July 21, 2016 by admin

International Journal of Manpower

ISSN: 0143-7720          LINK

Publication Cover

FORTHCOMING: Special Issue on: Diaspora Economics in Volume 37, No. 7, 2016

Editors: Amelie F. Constant (POP at UNU-MERIT, IZA and GLO) and Klaus F. Zimmermann (Harvard University, POP at UNU-MERIT and GLO)

Table of Contents:

Amelie F. Constant (POP at UNU-MERIT, IZA and GLO) and Klaus F. Zimmermann (Harvard University, POP at UNU-MERIT and GLO): Diaspora economics: New perspectives

Gil S. Epstein (Bar Ilan University) and Odelia Heizler (Tel-Aviv-Yaffo Academic College): The formation of networks in the diaspora

Michel Beine (CREA, University of Luxembourg, IRES): The role of networks for migration flows: An update

Artjoms Ivlevs (University of the West of England): Remittances and informal work

Carlo Devillanova (Bocconi University) and Tommaso Frattini (University of Milan): Inequities in immigrants’ access to health care services: Disentangling potential barriers

Hillel Rapoport (Paris School of Economics): Migration and globalization: What’s in it for developing countries?

Michael Clemens (Center for Global Development): Losing our minds? New research directions on skilled migration and development

 

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Zimmermann: Back to Boston from Europe

Posted on July 10, 2016 by admin

Klaus F. Zimmermann is currently based at the Center for European Studies (CES) of Harvard University. He just returned from a lecture and information tour through Europe to advertise for his new book and to study and discuss Brexit, the refugee issue and the challenges of evidence-based policymaking.

  • The book:
  • Kahanec, Martin, and Zimmermann, Klaus F. (Eds.), Labor Migration, EU Enlargement, and the Great Recession, Springer 2016. A flyer can be found here. More details: Further information!
  • Arrived in Boston:
  • July 8, 2016: An important talk in Cambridge at the NBER, the National Bureau of Economic Research. Looking forward to the participation at the NBER Summer Institute in July.
  • European tour:
  • July 6, 2016: Public debate about “Migration and the Labor Market” with a trade union leader at the University of Cologne/Germany.
  • July 4-5, 2016: Discussion meetings in Brussels/Belgium with representatives from the EU Commission and local researchers and scientists including the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).
  • July 1-3, 2016: Invited speaker in Aix-en-Provence/France on “How to Benefit from the Demographic Constraint ?”  in the conference “In a world of turmoil, what is a nation for?, LES RENCONTRES ECONOMIQUES D’AIX-EN-PROVENCE organized by Le Cercle des économistes.
  • June 26-30, 2016: Participation as Member of the Council and Chair of the Section for Economics, Business and Management Sciences of the Academia Europaea (AE), the European Academy of Sciences, at the Annual Conference in Cardiff. Invited presentation in the session (in partnership with ALLEA) on “Migration and Identity”.
  • June 20, 2016: Keynote Lecture in the Summer School on Democracy: European States towards Migration Crisis in Wroclaw/Poland about “The European Migration Crisis: Facts and Challenges for Media Democracies” organized by the University of  Wroclaw and Academia Europaea (AE).
  • June 15-18, 2016: Participating in the 30th Annual Congress of the European Society for Population Economics (ESPE) in Berlin/Germany. Invited paper presentation as former ESPE President on: “Arsenic Contamination of Drinking Water and Mental Health”, see. I am proud initiating ESPE 30 years ago. I also spoke about the perspectives of the Journal of Population Economics as its Editor-in-Chief to the ESPE General Assembly. The Editors of the Journal met during the meeting to discuss journal policy issues.

On July 8, 2016: Zimmermann at the NBER, the most important US economic think-tank.

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ENDS


 

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Zuwanderung und Arbeitsmarkt: Zimmermann zu Gast an der Universität Köln

Posted on July 8, 2016 by admin

Klaus F. Zimmermann, Wirtschaftsprofessor der Universität Bonn und Ko-Direktor des POP ( Centre for Population, Development and Labour Economics) an UNU-MERIT (Maastricht), forscht derzeit an der Harvard Universität. Beim 11. Kölner wirtschaftspolitischen Dialog diskutierte er am 6. 7. 2016 unter der Leitung von Steffen J. Roth, dem Geschäftsführer des Instituts für Wirtschaftspolitik an der Universität zu Köln, mit Eva Welskop-Deffaa vom Bundesvorstand ver.di zum Thema:

“Die Auswirkungen der Zuwanderung auf den Arbeitsmarkt”

Unter starker Beteiligung der universitären und außeruniversitären Öffentlichkeit fand die Veranstaltung im Senatssaal der Universität zu Köln statt.

Die beiden Referenten waren sich einig: “Die Zuwanderung nach Deutschland geht mit großen Herausforderungen einher, birgt aber auch Chancen. Entscheidend wird die Integration der Zuwanderer in die Erwerbsgesellschaft sein. Eine zügige Integration der zugewanderten Menschen in den Arbeitsmarkt erscheint auch aus integrations- und sozialpolitischen Gründen dringend geboten.”

Zentrale Thesen von Zimmermann und seine Literaturhinweise.

Zimmermann warb auch für sein neues Buch, das belegt, daß die EU -Osterweiterung positive Wirkungen für die europäischen Arbeitsmärkte hatte:

Kahanec, Martin, und Zimmermann, Klaus F. (Eds.), Labor Migration, EU Enlargement, and the Great Recession, Springer 2016.

Zimmermann nach der Diskussionsveranstaltung am Kölner Hauptbahnhof:

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Eva Welskop-Deffaa vom Bundesvorstand ver.di

160706 Köln Uni Welskop -Deffaa

Steffen J. Roth, Geschäftsführer des Instituts für Wirtschaftspolitik an der Universität zu Köln

160706 Köln Uni Steffen J. Roth

ENDS

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Zimmermann Debates the Future of Europe in Brussels

Posted on July 8, 2016 by admin

On his recent lecture and information tour through Europe, Klaus F. Zimmermann (Harvard University and UNU-MERIT) has visited Brussels on July 4-5, 2016 to discuss the future of Europe with representatives from the EU Commission and local researchers and scientists. Among others, he visited the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS). Zimmermann, who is also Professor at Bonn University and Honorary Professor of the Free University of Berlin, is Associate Research Fellow of CEPS). Brexit, the refugee crisis, evidence-based policy making and the future of Europe have been topics. He also presented his new book with Martin Kahanec:

Kahanec, Martin, and Zimmermann, Klaus F. (Eds.), Labor Migration, EU Enlargement, and the Great Recession, Springer 2016.

A flyer can be found here. More details: Further information!

Recent European migration has provided insights: EU enlargement and internal mobility has not caused Europe a problem, to the contrary it was beneficial. These findings were ignored in the public Brexit debate.

Zimmermann leaving CEPS on July 5, 2016:

IMG_20160705_053423

 

ENDS

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Klaus F. Zimmermann “In a World of Turmoil”

Posted on July 3, 2016 by admin

On his current lecture tour through Europe, Klaus F. Zimmermann (Harvard University and UNU-MERIT) participated in the conference “In a world of turmoil, what is a nation for?, the 16th edition of LES RENCONTRES ECONOMIQUES D’AIX-EN-PROVENCE (July 1-3). Created in 2001 by Le Cercle des économistes, Les Rencontres Économiques d’Aix-en-Provence have become an incomparable meeting place for current economic thought from France, Europe and the world.

Zimmermann spoke on July 2 on the demographic challenges and potential responses for single countries and the world in the session on “How to Benefit from the Demographic Constraint ?”

A selection of other speakers in the three days event include Jacques Attali, Agnès Benassy-Quéré, Tito Boeri, Stéphane Carcillo, Eric Hanushek, Jennifer Hunt, Louka Katseli, Alan Krueger, Christine Lagarde, Pascal Lamy, Pedro Martins, Mario Monti, Jean Pisani-Ferry, Hélène Rey, Nouriel Roubini, Philippe Trainar, Alan Winters, Guntram Wolff and Charles Wyplosz.

More information:

Some keywords of the Zimmermann intervention

(i) Demographic constraints

– Developed countries remain in demographic stagnation or decline.

– Developing countries will move into transition to demographic stagnation.

– Developed world is aging, shrinking; in particular inEurope, Japan, but also in China.

– Substantial increase in life expectancy with long work possibilities or high pension payments.

(ii) Behavioral constraints related to demographics

– Large immobility of people. Immobility is the problem not mobility.

– Rise in diversity, but increase in the demand for homogeneity, see the changing map  of the states in Europe over the last few decades

– Demographic ignorance of society: Unwillingness to notice and accept over decades now.

– Voting: the larger and larger older part of the population outvotes the young generation (see Brexit)

(iii) Chances

– Smaller population, lower demand

– Better chances for the young (public goods, careers)

(iv) Solutions

– Establish flexibility to adjust to change (eg. making pensions portable; improve immigration rules and integration)

– Invest in education, vocational training, universities (e.g. language, culture, international)

– Strengthen mobility policy (schools, vocational training, universities, circular free labor migration)

– Working-time flexibility (increase work-week up to 42 hors; increase retirement age to 70 years)

Zimmermann at the conference venue in Aix-en-Provence

IMG_20160702_111725

ENDS

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Zimmermann on Britain after the Brexit in “The International Economy”

Posted on June 23, 2016 by admin

In a contribution about “An EU disintegration after Brexit is not a likely possibility” recently published in The International Economy, Spring 2016, 26-27, as part of a set of articles of prominent public individuals, Klaus F. Zimmermann (Center for European Studies at Harvard University, UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, and on leave from Bonn University) contributed to the debate on: “Brexit: The Unintended Consequences. A Symposium of Views” . The text is:

“Europe is facing a large number of challenges. Its labor force is aging and shrinking. It is economically and politically threatened by the rise of Asian states. It is disorganized and unable to cope with the euro, refugees, terrorism, and the Ukrainian war, and suffers large delays in joint decision-making—if decisions come at all. For years, we have witnessed a rise in EU-skepticism and an ever larger mistrust in European institutions, while anti-
European right-wing parties grow stronger. Hence, Brexit may be seen as a “luxury crisis,” adding to the present disaster and not solving any of the existing problems.

The Brexit would leave a different European Union in its wake. With a loss of about 13 percent of its population and 15 percent of its earnings, the European Union would be a significantly less powerful economic zone. The voting balance between the north and the south would also shift: currently, the northern and the Mediterranean countries have blocking minority votes. The remaining north would face a larger demand for transfers by the lesser-endowed countries in the south and east. Other country-members could leave, and without a common vision the European idea would collapse.

However, an EU disintegration after Brexit is not a likely possibility. While it would probably be a coup to clear the table, we can re-invent the European idea with a better integration and identity strategy that would allow for a more dynamic union. A new flourishing core of Europe could establish the European dream with new trade zones
with the north and the south of the Mediterranean. Turkey could join the new European Union, thereby strengthening the southern element of the community with a large diaspora already present in the current union. In the sequence, the Scots would probably leave the United Kingdom to join the new Europe.

The core of the current crisis is the hesitation of the member states to strengthen the political integration strategy. With the British “no,” the countries left behind after Brexit can develop much faster. The current challenges call for a Europe as a whole, and less for national sovereignty. Europe needs more burden-sharing, more migrants to deal with aging societies, and more labor mobility to increase welfare.

To deal with the dissatisfaction with European institutions, which are part of a larger mistrust in government in general, less bureaucratic interference is needed in matters that can be done at the national level. Essential parts of the European model like the common market as well as reliable solidarity and reciprocity foundations should be strengthened. The further development of the European identity is essential.”

Other contributions:

Zimmermann at the Boston waterfront.

IMG_20160330_141447
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Brexit, Migration and the Labour Market

Posted on June 23, 2016 by admin

In the face of a potential Brexit, the UK debates whether the economic impacts in terms of wages, employment and public services due to migration are beneficial or detrimental to the country. Those pushing for Brexit argue that it is European labour migration organized by Brussels that causes British workers to lose jobs, earn lower wages and lead to higher payments for the welfare state. This view is at odds with the European project suggesting that free markets including free labour mobility will lead to a more efficient allocation of resources in the long term and hence to greater welfare.

Is this all a mistake? The empirical evidence globally, but also for the UK, shows that in spite of all fears, labour migration does not come with relevant harmful effects for jobs and earnings. If anything, it does come with more equality. The effects on the public coffers depend on selection, but European labour migration typically leads to net benefits. Skilled people are better protected against adjustments, but this is independent of migration. Yes, leaving the EU would lead to a loss of labour migrants but cause economic harm including a raise in taxes to balance the British budget.

Recent European migration provides insights: EU enlargement has not caused Europe a problem, to the contrary it was beneficial. See:

Kahanec, Martin, and Zimmermann, Klaus F. (Eds.), Labor Migration, EU Enlargement, and the Great Recession, Springer 2016.

A flyer can be found here. More details: Further information!

Klaus F. Zimmermann talking about European migration, the EU enlargement book and Brexit in Wroclaw, Poland on June 20, 2016.

Wroclaw

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New Affiliations of Zimmermann in Germany

Posted on June 16, 2016 by admin

To intensify his presence in Germany, Klaus F. Zimmermann, Harvard University and UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, has accepted the following affiliations:

Mannheim, Bonn and Berlin have previously been places of professional activities and affiliations. Zimmermann had studied economics and statistics at the University of Mannheim, and got his doctor and habilitation degrees from there. He is Professor of Economics at Bonn University (on leave) and Honorary Professor at the Free University Berlin. He has previously been the President of the German Economic Institute (DIW Berlin) for more than a decade. He is also Founding Director of the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn.

Further affiliations.

 

 

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Economic Policy in a Dynamic Environment

Posted on May 29, 2016 by admin

On May 27-28, 2016, the Joint Annual Meeting of the Slovak Economic Association and the Austrian Economic Association (NOeG-SEA 2016) in cooperation with the University of Economics Bratislava took place. The theme of the conference was “Economic Policy in a Dynamic Environment”. The two keynote speakers were Martin Hellwig (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods and Bonn University) and Klaus F. Zimmermann (Harvard University, POP at UNU-MERIT & Global Labor Organization, GLO). The full Program can be found here.

Zimmermann spoke about:

The European Migration Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities

Relevant literature with free downloads. See also:

The Immigration and prices: quasi-experimental evidence from Syrian refugees in Turkey by Binnur Balkan and Semih Tumen, Journal of Population Economics (2016) 29(3): 657-686.

On creating a point system in a new immigration law for Germany, see:

Holger Hinte, Ulf Rinne and Klaus F. Zimmermann: Punkte machen?! Warum Deutschland ein aktives Auswahlsystem für ausländische Fachkräfte braucht und wie ein solches System aussehen kann, Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, 2016, 17(1): 68-87. Pre-publication version.

Klaus F. Zimmermann on May 28, 2016, in the University of Economics in Bratislava:

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During his speech:

160528 Bratislava

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Zimmermann in Hannover über die europäische Flüchtlingskrise

Posted on May 28, 2016 by admin

In einer stark besuchten Seminarveranstaltung sprach Klaus F. Zimmermann (Harvard University and UNU-MERIT) am 26. Mai 2016 in der Leibniz Universität Hannover über:

Die europäische Flüchtlingskrise: Herausforderungen und Chancen

Er stellte dabei fest:

“Die Flüchtlingsfrage wird in Europa gerne als schwere Belastung für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft oder als wichtiger Lösungsbeitrag künftiger demographischer Herausforderungen diskutiert. Sie demaskiert aber in Wirklichkeit die Unfähigkeit nationaler und internationaler politischer Institutionen, angemessen und flexibel auf Veränderungen zu reagieren. Flüchtlinge sind Spielball für mediale und politische Auseinandersetzungen geworden, die zeigen, dass es mit der europäischen Wertegesellschaft und Solidarität nicht weit her ist. Denn die Zuströme sind quantitativ für Europa eher gering und die bisher gefundenen Lösungsansätze ungenügend. Die Flüchtlingskrise ist in Wirklichkeit eine Krise der politischen Institutionen. Dabei böten die aktuellen Herausforderungen Möglichkeiten, sich besser auf zukünftige Entwicklungen einzustellen. Und man könnte dabei viel von der internationalen Migrationsforschung lernen.”

Der Vortrag (Literaturhinweise) gab einen Überblick über Fakten und Handlungsoptionen. Er wurde durch eine Einladung von Stephan L. Thomsen  (Niedersächsisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung Hannover und Leibniz Universität Hannover) initiiert, der Zimmermann auch einführte und auf die große Bedeutung der evidenzbasierten Politikberatung für politische Prozesse hinwies. Zimmermann griff dies auf und verdeutlichte die Notwendigkeit, Migrationspolitik weniger an Mißtrauen und Veränderungsdruck, sondern mehr an Fakten festzumachen. Zuvor hatte Dekan Axel Haunschild (Leibniz Universität Hannover) den Redner sowie die zahlreichen Kollegen, Forscher und Studenten begrüßt. Zimmermann führte den gesamten Tag zahlreiche Fachgespräche mit Wissenschaftlern aus der Fakultät.

Klaus F. Zimmermann vor den Grabmalen von Hammet und Hasan von 1691, der ältesten bekannten und erhaltenen islamischen Grabstätte in Deutschland, in der Nähe der Leibniz Universität Hannover.

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