The research project "What Determines Skill Shortage? The Role of Employer Recruitment, Market Structure, and Public Policy," headed by Karim Bekhtiar, delves into the growing problem of skilled labor shortages exacerbated by demographic shifts. The project seeks to offer fresh perspectives on how company hiring practices, labor market training for the unemployed, and market structures influence labor market adaptability in aging societies. "With the baby boomer generation approaching retirement, a robust understanding of how businesses and policymakers can respond to increasing labor shortages is absolutely vital," Bekhtiar emphasizes.
A second funded project, "Towards an Eco-Social State? Conceptualizations, Individual Problem Perceptions & Policy Preferences," is being led by IHS researcher Peter Grand. Despite widespread agreement on the dangers of global warming and the climate crisis, national governments are struggling to implement effective countermeasures and meet climate goals. Currently, there's a gap in systematic, empirical research exploring the intersection of ecological, economic, and social policy dimensions. This project aims to fill that void, analyzing the dynamics of these policy areas and the connection between political preferences and actual political behavior. Regarding the project's societal relevance, Grand explains, "The link between environmental and social policies is critical because those who are financially vulnerable are, and will continue to be, disproportionately impacted by the effects of the climate crisis. Therefore, understanding how people's attitudes toward these two policy spheres interact, and how much public support exists for various eco-social policy packages, is essential."