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Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure DE-2008-1/2599 – measures in Germany

IMK Economic Performance Indicator

IMK Konjunkturindikator

Country Germany , applies nationwide
Time period Open ended, started on 01 January 2008
Context Restructuring Support Instruments
Type Other initiatives or policies
Category Ensuring business continuity and support for essential services
– Smoothing frictions or reallocation of workers
Author Birgit Kraemer (Hans Boeckler Foundation) and Eurofound
Measure added 23 June 2022 (updated 10 November 2022)

Background information

The 'Institut für Makroökonomie und Konjunkturforschung' ([Macroeconomic Policy Institute, IMK] of the Hans Böckler Foundation publishes the IMK Economic Performance Indicator.

The aim is to provide a real-time indicator for the likelyhood of a recession or a boom in economic activity on a monthly basis.

The Hans Böckler Foundation is the co-determination, study and research funding organisation of the German Trade Union Confederation.

Content of measure

The IMK Economic Performance Indicator estimates the probability of a recession or a boom within the next two to three months. A recession is considered to be a considerable decrease of industrial production, whereby different levels are possible (such as a decrease of production by at least 1% for 5 months or a decrease of 0.5% for 10 months).

The probabilities are calculated on the basis of data combinations which in the past resulted in recessions. The data are derived from the financial markets as well as indicators of the real economy, such as interest spreads or order levels. Results are published monthly

A list of recent publications using data from the IMK Economic Performance Indicator is published on the IMK's website.

Use of measure

Data from the IMK Economic Performance Indicator are used by research projects, in politics, by social partners, and in economic media coverage (see, for example, Handelsblatt 2022, or Tagesschau 2022).

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Applies to all workers Applies to all businesses Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
Trade unions
Trade union

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Unknown Unknown
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Unknown
  • Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

The IMK is an institute of the Hans Böckler Foundation (HBS). The HBS is affiliated with the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB).

Views and reactions

Unknown

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2022), IMK Economic Performance Indicator, measure DE-2008-1/2599 (measures in Germany), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/DE-2008-1_2599.html

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