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Industrial policy and the East German productivity puzzle

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  • Klodt, Henning

Abstract

Catching-up of East German productivity to West German levels has completely faded out sinde the mid 1990s. The remaining productivity gap cannot be attributed to an inferior capital endowment. Instead, it appears to be the result of an inappropriate design of industrial policy which fostered the specialization of East German industry on capital intesive smoke-stack industries. These industries are absorbing a large share of factor inputs, whereas their contribution to aggregate output is rather limited. East Germany will have to face, therefore, another wave of painful structural adjustment when public subsidies will further be reduced.

Suggested Citation

  • Klodt, Henning, 1999. "Industrial policy and the East German productivity puzzle," Kiel Working Papers 943, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifwkwp:943
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hans‐Werner Sinn, 2002. "Germany’s Economic Unification: An Assessment after Ten Years," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(1), pages 113-128, February.
    2. Ragnitz, Joachim, 2007. "Explaining the East German productivity gap: the role of human capital," Kiel Working Papers 1310, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    3. Ragnitz, Joachim, 2003. "Wirkungen der Investitionsförderung in Ostdeutschland," IWH Discussion Papers 186/2003, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
    4. George Petrakos & Dimitrios Kallioras & Ageliki Anagnostou, 2006. "Determinants of Industrial Performance in the EU-15 Countries, 1980-2003," ERSA conference papers ersa06p134, European Regional Science Association.
    5. Laurence Nayman & Deniz Ünal-Kesenci, 2001. "The French-German Productivity Comparison Revisited : Ten Years after the German Unification," Working Papers 2001-14, CEPII research center.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure
    • L52 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Industrial Policy; Sectoral Planning Methods

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