Workers and employers bargain over the surplus income generated by an employment relationship. This column uses information about key events in Germany relevant for wage negotiations, like labour strikes and the introduction of a minimum wage, to pinpoint changes in bargaining power between workers and employers.
Historically, only very large firms issued in the European corporate bond market. However, recent years have seen the entry of many new players: small, private, and unrated issuers. This column uses firm-level data to show these new players face different game dynamics. They are disconnected from aggregate market movements and still depend heavily on banks. A better