Comparison of data collecting and measurement methodology and definitions used for calculating unemployment rates in Germany, Federal Republic and the USA - describes data collecting systems and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics adjustment method; compares national and ILO definitions; discusses effect of short time working and early retirement programmes, and the incidence of underemployment and disguised unemployment in German unemployment rates. References, statistical tables.

Kurzarbeit (KA), Germany’s short-time work program, is widely credited with saving jobs and supporting domestic demand during the COVID-19 recession. We quantify the impact by exploiting state-level variation in exposure to the pandemic shock and KA take-up. We construct a shift-share measure of the labor demand shock and instrument KA take-up using the pre-existing, state-specific share of workers eligible for KA. We find, first, that KA was crucial in mitigating unemployment: absent its expansion the unemployment rate would have increased by an additional 3 pp on average at the trough of the recession. Second, KA also bolstered domestic demand: the contraction in consumption could have been 2 to 3 times larger absent the program. Finally, we provide preliminary evidence on the sensitivity of the medium-run reallocation of resources to the prevalence of jobretention schemes during the Global Financial Crisis.

Publishes in-depth articles on labor subjects, current labor statistics, information about current labor contracts, and book reviews.

Dan Silverman focuses on Nazi direct work creation programs, utilizing rich archival sources to trace the development and implementation of these programs at the regional and local level.