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Digital work performed online by the crowd creates a new, globally dispersed and internet-based form of work. Despite the high social and economic relevance of crowdwork, little empirical evidence exists on its spread and functioning. From the perspective of the workers, the question arises, which factors make crowdwork attractive despite its inherent insecurity. From the perspective of the companies, controlling the quality of work and data security as well as exchange of experience and knowledge are difficult to organize.

Strong growth of policy related research institutes since the 1990s and growing, increasingly transnational networking of experts and think tanks provide key reasons for the research project. Which  constituencies (in analogy to membership logics in associations) determine these policy institutes and what are the (institutional) logics of influence that leave a strong mark on processes and evolving structures of the transnational think tank networks? Do we experience a new pluralism or do we confront new hierarchies? The contemporary discussion of “post-democratic” circumstances focused on the national polity suggesting less opportunities of democratic participation through traditional political actors (political parties, associations) and institutions (national parliaments).

It is the aim of the planned project to investigate how inequalities in the provision and benefits of company provided further training are influenced by characteristics of the company context. By using the Linked-Employer-Employee data (LIAB) of the IAB and the Panel WeLL the project wants to analyze how differences in the company context affect participation rates in further training as well as training-related benefits in terms of income growth, employability, and upward labor market mobility. The focus is on low skilled workers, who lack a proper or adequate professional qualification. Leading is the question to what extent and under which conditions company provided training reduces existing inequalities by better integrating the group of low skilled workers in the labor market.

Debatten über soziale Ungleichheit in Deutschland thematisieren häufig die Lage der Mittelschicht. Beispielsweise wird seit Jahren ein „Schrumpfen der Mittelschicht“ diagnostiziert. Auch scheint die „Angst der Mittelschicht vor dem sozialen Abstieg“ zuzunehmen. Bei genauerer Betrachtung zeigt sich, dass diese Debatte mindestens zwei Aspekte hat: Zum einen geht es um sozialen Abstieg aus gesicherten Positionen in der Mittelschicht. Zum anderen werden blockierte Aufstiegswege in die Mittelschicht für Arbeitsmarkteinsteiger thematisiert. Diese Perspektiven werden in der bisherigen Forschung meist unabhängig voneinander betrachtet. Auf der einen Seite stehen Arbeiten, die sich beispielsweise mit dem Armutsrisiko in der Haupterwerbsphase des Lebensverlaufs beschäftigen.

Wie wollen die Menschen in Deutschland leben und wie sehen sie sich selbst? Wo zeigen sie Bereitschaft zur Veränderung und wo gibt es Blockaden? Diese Fragen beantwortet die Vermächtnisstudie von DIE ZEIT, infas Institut für angewandte Sozialwissenschaft und dem Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB). Befragt wurden 3.104 repräsentativ ausgewählte Personen im Alter von 14 bis 80 Jahren in der gesamten Bundesrepublik. Die Befragung fand zwischen Anfang Juli und Mitte Oktober 2015 statt.

Für die Vermächtnisstudie wurde ein innovatives Forschungsdesign entwickelt, das aus einem Dreiklang von Erhebungsdimensionen besteht.

1. Das Hier und Jetzt.

Education and skill mismatch can be seen as major problems of modern labor markets. Both phenomena represent a discrepancy between workers’ education and job requirements. While educational mismatch, or qualification mismatch, refers to formal qualifications, skill mismatch concerns the actual skills possessed by the worker (and required by the workplace).

The importance of continuous training within employment careers grew strongly during the recent decades. Rapid technological change often renders initial education and training insufficient as careers progress. Therefore, many argue that “lifelong learning” should become the norm for workers. Yet, the benefits of training participation for workers are still partly unclear.

The aim of this project is to broaden the knowledge about the returns to further training. To achieve this, the analyses take into account the multifaceted nature of further training. This includes the following distinctions:

Labor income is the prime income source in most households in modern capitalist societies. Thus, large parts of the population rely on stable jobs to maintain their standard of living and employment interruptions such as job loss often lead to downward mobility. However, the effects of job loss and unemployment on a person’s standard of living are not determined by losses in labor income alone. Because of the risks entailed by job loss, all modern welfare states implemented some form of unemployment insurance. Furthermore, there are two other ways through which downward income mobility after job loss may be mitigated. First, rapid re-employment in a well-paid job may maintain economic well-being.