: THE INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH (WSI)

The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) is an independent academic institute within the Hans-Böckler-Foundation, a non-profit organisation fostering co-determination and promoting research and academic study on behalf of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB). Since it was founded in 1946, the institute's focus has always been on the improvement of life chances, on social justice and fair working and living conditions. Economists, sociologists, political scientists and law scholars work on social, economic and labour market policy issues. On the basis of their analyses, researchers elaborate policy proposals aimed at overcoming labour market restrictions and social problems to the benefit of employees.

Selected WSI publications

Source: WSI

WSI Academic Staff

Key Research Topics

: Labour market and working conditions

In recent years, labour market policy has been challenged by huge structural changes, most of all by the increase in non-standard and often also precarious forms of employment. Moreover, quality of work has changed – growing job-related stress being one major example.

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: Wage policy, collective bargaining and industrial relations

Wage policy Wage policy, collective bargaining policy and industrial relations have been the main fields of expertise in WSI research and public policy advice for decades.

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: Social inequality, social (des-)integration and social policy

Research is concerned with welfare state and social policy changes, structural causes for the increase in social inequality, and the search for possibilities to foster a fairer distribution of life chances.

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: Gender Research

The focus of WSI gender studies is on the job inequality of men and women and ways to overcome it.

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: Europe and European policies

The research area monitors economic, social and political developments on the European level and evaluates the consequences, risks and opportunities for employees, households, firms and the future of the welfare state.

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WSI News and Recent Publications

Chung, Heejung / Wang, Senhu / Lott, Yvonne : Flexibility stigma in the UK and Germany post-pandemic: intersectionality of stigma across gender and parental lines

Is homeworking stigmatised in the post-pandemic labour market, and if so, does this vary across gender, parental status, and welfare regimes? Data from Germany and UK show: In both countries, homeworking is associated with career penalties. Mothers were penalised least; fathers and childless men faced stronger penalties, supporting the femininity stigma thesis.

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Janssen, Thilo / Dribbusch, Heiner : WSI Industrial Action Report 2026

Fewer strikes, fewer strike-related lost workdays: short walkouts were the norm, while indefinite, widespread strikes were the exception. More than one in four labor disputes involved the company’s (first-time) commitment to a collective bargaining agreement.

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Eurofound 2026 : IT sector in focus: Evolution of the EU’s digital workforce

The report addresses the challenges for the digital workforce around employment and quality of work that need to be confronted if the EU-27 is to realise its ambitious digitalisation targets.

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Behrens, Martin / Pekarek, Andreas : Feeling the heat? Union identity under labour market reforms

Drawing on a large dataset of German employees surveyed in 2008, the authors examine whether members' attitudes reflect the identity traditionally associated with German unions. They find that these union members do subscribe to German union identity, and that this identity is most strongly embraced by members of unions affiliated with the DGB confederation, the mainstay of German unionism.

Journal of Industrial Relations 

Deadline for applications: 15 September 2026 : Call for Participation

Class and class consciousness – concepts of the past, or more relevant than ever? The Herbstforum PhD workshop offers the opportunity to present doctoral research proposals on this topic and to discuss them with researchers from the WSI.

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Brega, Carla / Schulze Buschoff, Karin : Adapting social security to the needs of platform workers

Platform workers often cannot meet qualifying conditions for unemployment insurance and other benefits. A comparative analysis of Germany and the Netherlands shows how different welfare state configurations shape effective protection access.

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Luebker, Malte / Schulten, Thorsten : WSI Minimum Wage Report 2026

Higher minimum wages: The EU directive has contributed to dynamic growth across much of Europe. In Germany, the Minimum Wage Commission has significantly increased the minimum wage and is now pursuing the goal of reaching 60% of the median wage. However, as the reference value has not yet been enshrined in law, progress in this country is still on shaky ground.

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Brussels, 04.12.2025 : Innovating and experimenting for union renewal in Europe and beyond

How can trade unions innovate and stay strong in a changing world? European and North American researchers, among them Thorsten Schulten and Johannes Specht (WSI), presented their findings on innovative practices and experiments in union renewal. The video recording of the discussion is available online.

eui.org 

Malagardē, Athēna / Sengayrac, Simon-Pierre / Schulten, Thorsten : The minimum wage in Greece, France and Germany

The study provides a comparative overview of the new mechanism for setting the statutory minimum wage in Greece in relation to the French and German models.

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Müller, Torsten / Schulten, Thorsten : After Landmark EU Court Judgement: The EU Minimum Wages Directive Is Alive and Kicking

The landmark ruling validates the directive's approach to adequate wages and collective bargaining, dealing only minor setbacks to its implementation across Europe.

socialeurope.eu 

Eurofound 2025 : Digitalisation of social protection

The report focuses on the digitalisation of front- and back-office processes in monetary social benefits. The automation removes the need to apply and prevents non-take-up, but people in atypical situations are often excluded from digital processes.

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Löw, Neva / Pichl, Maximilian : Climate Refugees Are Already Here — And Democracy Hangs In The Balance

The climate crisis and global migration are closely linked. Socio-ecological transformation and advocacy for the right not to have to leave can only succeed through preserving and expanding democratic spaces.

socialeurope.eu 

Schulten, Thorsten / Lübker, Malte : Germany’s Minimum Wage Hike In Accordance With The European Minimum Wage Directive

The German Minimum Wage Commission has, for the first time, recognised 60 % of the median wage as a formal reference point for the statutory minimum – a decisive policy shift bringing Germany into line with the EU Minimum Wage Directive.

socialeurope.eu 

Erol, Şerife / Kärcher, Anneliese / Schulten, Thorsten / Walser, Manfred : Germany’s Subcontracting Ban in the Meat Industry

The European Parliament is preparing a report on abusive subcontracting practices across the EU. The experience in the German meat industry has demonstrated that a ban on subcontracting can be a suitable instrument to combat extreme forms of exploitation.

socialeurope.eu 

Peters, Eileen / Abendroth, Anja-Kristin : Gender Ideologies and Workplace Diversity Policies

The authors show that voluntary women’s quotas in companies are linked to more egalitarian gender beliefs among employees. In conclusion, the findings indicate that policy feedback mechanisms operate not only at the national but also at the workplace level.

Open access 

Höpner, Martin / Schmidt, Susanne K. / Seikel, Daniel : Asymmetry resolved? Revisiting negative and positive European integration

Is Fritz W. Scharpf's influential theory of an institutional asymmetry between negative and positive integration in the European Union still relevant? The authors find that the asymmetry persists, albeit in a nuanced way.

Open access 

Peters, Eileen / Pohlmeyer, Merle / Schulze Buschoff, Karin : Diverging Paths?

Drawing on nationally representative panel data spanning the years 2019–2023, the article investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on subjective well-being of the solo self-employed and employees in Germany.

Open access 

Special offers

  • : WSI-Blog Work on Progress

    Rapid technological change and increasing uncertainty in the world of work pose new challenges for shaping a fair social and economic order in Germany and Europe. On this blog, authors from academia, trade unions, and politics comment on current economic and socio-political developments, explore potential courses of action, and present new perspectives. On the following pages, we present selected articles translated into English.

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  • : WSI Minimum Wage Database

    The WSI Minimum Wage Database provides a current overview of the development and level of the minimum wage in 38 countries

    Interactive map, graphs and tables 

  • : WSI-Mitteilungen

    "WSI-Mitteilungen" is a scientific journal providing up-to-date information on the results of research on current issues of relevance to trade unions.

    Overview and abstracts