Thirty years have gone since the German unification. We present three historical texts which described the labour market perspectives in these times and developed reform proposals for employment policy throughout Germany::
- Hidden unemployment in the German Democratic Republic (1990, in German): A survey-based analysis revealed that not more than two thirds of the workers in GDR firms will stay employed under market-driven conditions. In fact, only 6 out of the ten million workers remained at work after reunification. No substantial change happened ever since.
- Perspectives for the eastern German labour market (1991, in German): In a phase of high uncertainty, an expert conference in Dresden in May 1991 tried to compile and evaluate the facts. The hope for long-term economic recovery was contrasted by concerns about lasting social repercussions.
- Employment perspectives for the unified Germany – time for change (1994, in German): The years after reunification showed that the improvement in employment was not self-perpetuating. The lack of dynamism and the inflexibility of the West German economy also paralyzed the recovery in East Germany. It would take another decade before a turnaround in labor market was achieved.
