Did the Corona Crisis widen the gap between rich and poor? An Analysis of Economic Inequality in Germany during the Corona Crisis

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Research questions and hypotheses
• Methodology and data basis
• The term inequality and its key figures
• The concepts of income
• Market and net income
• Net equivalence income
• The concept of wealth
• The concept of poverty
• Gini coefficient and other indicators
• Framework and Development of economic inequality in Germany
• Economic framework in Germany
• Solid economic growth until the Corona crisis
• Labour market situation and the importance of short-time work
• Distribution of national income
• Income inequality in Germany
• Development of net equivalised disposable income
• Decline in wage inequality with gender pay gap remaining
• Development of the Gini coefficient and other indicators
• Trends in income poverty
• Decrease in material deprivation
• Developments at the upper end of the income distribution
• Asset distribution in Germany
• Gini coefficient and percentile distributions
• Relationship between income and assets
• Asset distribution in international comparison
• Changes in economic inequality due to the Corona crisis
• Short-term effects on the labour market
• The significant role of short-time allowances
• Marginally employed persons face major challenges due to the crisis
• Effects on market and disposable household income
• The Gender Pay Gap in the Corona Crisis
• Income inequality during the Corona pandemic in Europe
• Short-term effects on asset distribution
• Policy instruments to reduce economic inequality
• Financial support for the self-employed persons
• Assistance for marginally employed persons
• Spreading the costs of the pandemic fairly
• Limitations

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This Master's thesis investigates the impact of the Corona crisis on economic inequality in Germany. It aims to answer the research question of how the economic inequality in Germany changed during the crisis. Through a deductive literature analysis, the study explores the short-term effects of the crisis on income and wealth distribution, with a focus on the role of social security measures, labour market adjustments, and asset disparities.

• Economic Inequality in Germany
• Impact of the Corona Crisis
• Income and Wealth Distribution
• Role of Social Security Measures
• Labour Market Adjustments

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The thesis begins by defining key concepts related to economic inequality, including income, wealth, and poverty. It then provides an overview of the economic framework in Germany before the crisis, highlighting factors like economic growth, labour market dynamics, and the distribution of national income. The study then analyzes trends in income and wealth inequality in Germany prior to the crisis, focusing on the development of income and asset distributions, the Gini coefficient, and poverty indicators.

The fourth chapter investigates the short-term effects of the Corona crisis on economic inequality in Germany. It examines the impact of the crisis on the labour market, particularly the role of short-time work and the challenges faced by marginally employed individuals. The chapter also analyzes the effects of the crisis on income distribution, exploring changes in market and disposable household income and the gender pay gap. Finally, it provides an initial assessment of the impact of the crisis on asset distribution.

The fifth chapter explores policy instruments aimed at mitigating economic inequality in the wake of the Corona crisis. It focuses on financial support for self-employed individuals, assistance for marginally employed persons, and strategies for fairly distributing the costs of the pandemic.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis focuses on key aspects of economic inequality, including income inequality, wealth inequality, poverty, the impact of the Corona crisis on economic disparities in Germany, social security measures, labour market changes, asset distribution, and policy instruments to reduce inequality.