News & Opinions

New Study: Same job, different skills – why migrants fall behind at work - 13 Mar 2026

Migrants in Europe perform fewer complex tasks than native workers in the same jobs due to cognitive skill gaps rather than discriminatory task allocation. Language training and skill development are key read more

New study: Regime change in Iran could boost EU economy - 02 Mar 2026

GDP gains of up to 0.7% for the EU; Austria would benefit particularly; dampening effects on inflation; Iran could reach the economic level of Turkey or South Korea in the medium term read more

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed Central, East and Southeast Europe - 24 Feb 2026

The war has ended the region’s three-decade growth model and replaced it with one defined by security and capital intensity read more

Reorientation of Ukraine’s economy towards the EU - 24 Feb 2026

EU now Ukraine’s most important trading partner; high dependence on China for drones; critical raw materials, defence and renewables are opportunities for Europe; robust agriculture, greater role for the government read more

New study: fiscal consolidation dampens growth and increases inequality - 18 Feb 2026

Study shows: dampening effects of fiscal consolidation are significantly stronger in a recession than in an upturn; negative impact in Austria limited so far; ensure socially balanced consolidation read more

United Europe 2031: Widen, Deepen, Survive - 17 Feb 2026

Europe must grasp the nettle and use enlargement to force deep integration – before delay turns into decline read more

Winter forecast for Eastern Europe: Solid growth despite uncertainties - 04 Feb 2026

Structural change in Central and Eastern Europe is in full swing, while Trump, budget deficits and a dictated peace in Ukraine pose risks; Ukraine faces a difficult future, whereas Russia’s economy is stagnating read more

A dictated peace would be a disaster for Ukraine and Central Eastern Europe - 15 Jan 2026

Without credible security guarantees, Ukraine is likely to become a vassal state of Moscow and will continue to get poorer. The EU members of the region would face economic decline and protracted conflict with Russia read more

Recent Publications

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Crowding in or crowding out? Public and private investment in the Western Balkans

wiiw Policy Notes and Reports read more

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How firms respond to minimum wage increases: Evidence from North Macedonia

wiiw Working Papers read more

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Struktur und Dynamik von Firmen und Produkten im österreichischen Außenhandel

wiiw Research Reports in German Language read more

Upcoming Events

24  March 2026    2:15 pm CET

In cooperation with Research Centre International Economics (FIW).

Join Harald Fadinger as he reveals how restricting critical inputs can unintentionally fuel foreign innovation and expand downstream industries worldwide.

Trade and Industrial Policy in Supply Chains: Directed Technological Change in Rare Earths

read more

Projects in Focus

Fiscal policies in Europe III.

Client: Austrian Chamber of Labour
Duration: January 2021 - November 2022 read more

The spatial impact of EU policies

Client: European Commission, DG Regional Policy
Duration: October 2023 - January 2025 read more

Impact Evaluation of the Interreg Rhin Supérieur / Oberrhein Programme

Client: Interreg Rhin Supérieur
Duration: September 2021 - December 2022 read more

Expertise on intra-EU mobility, free movement of workers and social security coordination – Support on statistics and socio-economic analysis

Client: European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Duration: December 2025 - November 2029 read more

Production and analysis of Cedefop’s new European Skills Forecast

Client: CEDEFOP
Duration: September 2024 - August 2028 read more

Tax and Contribution Burdens in Firms with Different Value Creation Structures

Client: AK Lower Austria
Duration: December 2024 - June 2025 read more

Labour market effects of Austrian foreign trade

Client: Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy
Duration: November 2023 - September 2024 read more

Regional Cooperation in EU-CEE and Lessons for the Western Balkans

Client: Bertelsmann Stiftung
Duration: June 2021 - May 2022 read more

Preparation of Ukraine for its accession to the EU in the area of Cohesion Policy

Client: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Duration: June 2024 - December 2024 read more

Economic Strategies for a thriving Danube Region – Policy Note

Client: Austrian Economic Chamber
Duration: April 2024 - November 2024 read more


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