Brandenburg - challenging industrial heritage and strong regional disparities

Abstract

"Brandenburg is a federal state in eastern Germany with huge rural areas and a low population density. In former times, its economy was dominated by the steel industry and coal mining. The strongest economic forces are now located in nearby Berlin to where firms and employees are increasingly attracted. This phenomenon is reflected in a regression, which is based on a shiftshare model, to assess changes in employment. In this regression, positive regional factors play an important role. On the other hand, the proximity to Berlin has effects on wages in Brandenburg that hamper employment growth. Production is biased towards big enterprises and low knowledge levels. Concentrating on specialized economic branches seems to be effective in fostering growth in Brandenburg. There should be more economic and technical co-operation with Berlin to open up the possibility of the two federal states being unified." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Bogai, D. (2007): Brandenburg - Schwieriges industrielles Erbe und starke regionale Disparitäten. In: Sozialer Fortschritt, Vol. 56, No. 1, p. 13-16.