When the pandemic broke out a year ago, the rising numbers of infections across the globe soon made it obvious that nearly all countries would be hit hard economically and socially.

The pandemic has brought the increased national debt of many countries into Focus. How should the debt be paid? Various possible solutions are being discussed.

Wirtschaftsdienst journal and the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH), which focuses on the adjustment processes after reunification, host a joint conference addressing the questions of productivity gaps, convergence of economic and social conditions and much more.

This year's Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson. They invented new formats for auctioning off many interrelated objects.

This year's annual conference of the Verein für Socialpolitik is entitled Gender Economics - Gender Studies in Economic Sciences.

The corona crisis is affecting labour markets worldwide. It is also changing the way companies and employees work.

The coronavirus and the development of infection data influence political, societal and business life. Infection rates are unpredictible and there is a high uncertainty about planning and decision making. Scenario planning is one instrument to assist managers in the task of preparing for different probable developments.

The lockdowns in many countries are forcing companies to think on their feet: many are adapting production lines to medical products or switch to new services.

The coronavirus increasingly affects the global economy. Supply chains are interrupted and lead to production stops, supply bottlenecks or problems with procurement in China.

The global debt level is growing every year. Government and corporate debts, as well as the debts of private households, are higher than before the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2007.

What does digitalisation mean for working people and how do they prepare for changes in skills and labour market conditions? These and other diverse questions are themes of the joint conference of Wirtschaftsdienst and Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB) in Berlin, Germany on 2nd December 2019.

This year's Nobel Prize in Economics* was awarded to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer. They developed new methods for poverty research. Our List of references contains diverse Research Papers.

What does it take to successfully lead large corporations to the top of the world and how do successful people deal with setbacks and failures?

Following the financial crisis, interest rates have reached (long-term) historical lows. For middle-class households in Germany, which are traditionally risk-averse and rely on savings, it is increasingly difficult to accumulate wealth in preparation for old age.

Illegal employment is declining in Germany which may be due to continuous economic development and concomitant low unemployment rates.