ifo Institute

On March 24, 2025, Julia Friedlander (Atlantik-Brücke) will discuss transatlantic relations after the US elections at the Munich Chamber of Commerce. The focus will be on economic and security challenges for Germany and Europe. The event will be live streamed.

In February, 24.5% of employees in Germany worked from home at least part of the time, according to the ifo Business Survey. “We see no evidence in the data that working from home is on the decline,” says ifo researcher Jean-Victor Alipour.

Manufacturing in Germany is undergoing fundamental structural change. Manufacturing companies are increasingly focusing on hybrid products in which goods are combined with product-related services.

Recruiting more volunteers in Germany through higher wages would be more cost-effective than returning to conscription, according to an ifo Institute calculation.

After the crisis mood at the start of the year, the business climate for the self-employed and microenterprises in Germany moderately improved in February. The “Jimdo-ifo Business Climate Index for the Self-Employed” rose -21.1 points*, up from -24.9 points* in January.