Homepage

We conduct independent research into significant challenges to the economy, society and the welfare state in a global world.

About us

Work with us

Become part of our research team

Join as a PhD student

Join as a postdoc

Research

Learn more

The ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin Institute for the Economy and the Future of Work (RFBerlin) engages in research designed to raise the standard of public debate and create the best possible basis for policy making.

Discussion papers

No. 195/26 - July 2026

AI Diffusion Gaps: Unequal Integration of AI Across K-12 Schools

Christopher Campos, John Singleton

View paper

No. 194/26 - July 2026

Gendered Honors: Graduation Committees, Academic Distinction, and Early-Career Outcomes

Lorenzo Cappellari, Tommaso Colussi, Marco Ovidi

View paper

No. 193/26 - July 2026

On the Extent, Correlates, and Consequences of Reporting Bias in Survey Wages

Marco Caliendo, Katrin Huber, Ingo Isphording, Jakob Wegmann

View paper

No. 192/26 - July 2026

Taxing Labor: Firm R&D, Automation and the Labor Share

Hyejin Ku, Uta Schönberg, Ragnhild C. Schreiner

View paper

View all Discussion Papers

Research Insights

Concise, research-based articles for scholars,
policymakers, and anyone curious about the world.

All Research Insights

No. 26/26 - July 2026

Seasonal Allergies and Accidents

Hay fever, or seasonal allergies, affects more than 400 million people worldwide. During pollen season, sufferers face sneezing, itchy eyes, and daytime sleepiness. Most consider it a minor nuisance. Could these effects be causing real accidents—and serious economic losses?

Opportunity

Learn more

No. 25/26 - July 2026

Who Is Left Out? Collective Bargaining and Low-Wage Workers in Germany

Germany’s collective bargaining system has long been a cornerstone of fair wages and stable labor relations. But its reach has weakened—and not evenly. Our study shows that while collective agreements still shape wages for many workers, coverage has declined over time and is particularly low among low-wage workers.

Opportunity

Learn more

No. 24/26 - July 2026

Why Job Finding Gets Harder the Longer Unemployment Lasts

People who stay unemployed longer are much less likely to find a job—but why?

Human Capital Opportunity

Learn more

CReAM Reports

Data-driven reports on migration and related economic and social trends, highlighting the latest developments across Europe and beyond.

All CReAM Reports

No. 5/26 - June 2026

The Refugee Population in Europe in 2025: A Decade of Growth Comes to a Halt

The rapid growth of Europe's refugee population has come to an end. Drawing on new UNHCR data, this report shows how falling asylum inflows, the naturalisation of earlier refugee cohorts in Germany, and a reform of temporary protection in Italy are reshaping refugee numbers.

Demography Integration

View report

No. 4/26 - May 2026

Immigrant Educational Attainment in the European Union: Origin, Gender and Cross-Country Differences

This report examines educational attainment among natives, EU-born immigrants, and non-EU-born immigrants across the European Union, highlighting how differences by origin, gender, and country continue to shape educational outcomes despite a general rise in tertiary attainment since 2017.

Human Capital Opportunity

View report

No. 3/26 - April 2026

The Immigrant Population in the European Union: Growth, Concentration and Dispersion

The EU hosts a record 64 million foreign-born residents, with migration continuing to grow strongly, though unevenly across countries. While Germany and Spain dominate in absolute numbers, smaller Member States often face greater relative pressure.

Demography Human Capital

View report

News

RFBerlin research and researchers are regularly featured in the press.

View all press

Opinion piece Press

16 Jul 2026

RFBerlin’s Hanna Wang on Parental Allowance Reform in RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland

View article

Press

15 Jul 2026

Research Insight on Collective Bargaining Featured in German Media

View article

Press

13 Jul 2026

Christian Dustmann Interviewed by rbb Inforadio on Collective Bargaining and Low-Wage Work

View article

Press release

12 Jul 2026

Unequal Taxation Helped Fuel the French Revolution

View article

Tweets by @RF_Berlin

ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin @rf_berlin ·

15 Jul

📰 📢 Our latest Research Insight “Who Is Left Out? Collective Bargaining and Low-Wage Workers in Germany” has been featured in multiple German media outlets!

Bellmann, Dustmann and Fitzenberger highlight that collective bargaining coverage has declined over recent decades and

Reply on Twitter 2077407897928053009 Retweet on Twitter 2077407897928053009 1 Like on Twitter 2077407897928053009

ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin @rf_berlin ·

15 Jul

🗞️ The weekly release of our Discussion Paper Series!
You find more here: https://www.rfberlin.com/discussion-papers/

Reply on Twitter 2077316996056711530 Retweet on Twitter 2077316996056711530 2 Like on Twitter 2077316996056711530 5

ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin @rf_berlin ·

14 Jul

As France celebrates #BastilleDay, here are some key facts about its foreign-born population.

9.6 million people were born abroad, that’s 14% of the population. Among them, 79% were born outside the EU, more than a third have a college degree and the majority are employed.

Reply on Twitter 2077015794953716140 Retweet on Twitter 2077015794953716140 1 Like on Twitter 2077015794953716140 1

ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin @rf_berlin ·

10 Jul

🧠 𝗥𝗙𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

Germany’s collective bargaining system is one of the most celebrated labor market institutions in the world, however, research by Lutz Bellmann, Christian Dustmann & Bernd Fitzenberger shows it’s no longer reaching the workers

Reply on Twitter 2075520656217637229 Retweet on Twitter 2075520656217637229 1 Like on Twitter 2075520656217637229 3

Upcoming events

RFBerlin hosts a wide array of events aimed at fostering academic research and collaboration.

Brown Bag Seminar

24 July 2026

David Berger (Duke University)

A Danish Fix of U.S. Mortgage Lock-in?

RFBerlin Event

27 Aug – 30 Aug 2026

RFBerlin Nizza Monferrato Workshop 2026

External Event

7 Sep – 8 Sep 2026

Structural Labor Workshop

View all events

Handbook of Labor Economics – Chapter Previews

In anticipation of the upcoming Handbook of Labor Economics, we offer early access to select chapters through our Discussion Papers series. Following our 2023 conference on this new edition, first chapters are now available for preview, featuring insights from leading research in economics and labor.

We conduct independent research into significant challenges to the economy, society and the welfare state in a global world.

Become part of our research team

Research

Equity, Inclusion & Opportunity

Migration & Global Collaboration

Technology, Trade & Human Capital

Discussion papers

Research Insights

Seasonal Allergies and Accidents

Who Is Left Out? Collective Bargaining and Low-Wage Workers in Germany

Why Job Finding Gets Harder the Longer Unemployment Lasts

CReAM Reports

The Refugee Population in Europe in 2025: A Decade of Growth Comes to a Halt

Immigrant Educational Attainment in the European Union: Origin, Gender and Cross-Country Differences

The Immigrant Population in the European Union: Growth, Concentration and Dispersion

News

RFBerlin’s Hanna Wang on Parental Allowance Reform in RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland

Research Insight on Collective Bargaining Featured in German Media

Christian Dustmann Interviewed by rbb Inforadio on Collective Bargaining and Low-Wage Work

Unequal Taxation Helped Fuel the French Revolution

Upcoming events

Brown Bag Seminar

David Berger (Duke University)

RFBerlin Event

RFBerlin Nizza Monferrato Workshop 2026

External Event

Structural Labor Workshop

Handbook of Labor Economics – Chapter Previews

Sign up to our newsletter