The junior research group “Ecological Transformation, Labor Markets, Vocational and Further Training” is a joint project of RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research (Essen) and IAB – Institute for Employment Research (Nuremberg) in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences of the Federal Employment Agency (HdBA Mannheim). It investigates the effects of the ecological transformation on the labor market. To do so, the researchers analyze the consequences of the ecological transformation for employees and for social policy, as well as the role of vocational and further training in supporting the transformation process. The research thus contributes to answering the overarching question of how adaptation processes take place in the context of the ecological transformation and how solutions for socially just climate and environmental policies can be designed.

The junior research group generates new empirical evidence on the effects of the ecological transformation and necessary adaptations using quantitative, statistical-econometric analyses in combination with natural language processing (NLP) methods and qualitative methods such as surveys. Both economic and sociological concepts are taken into account and connections with other disciplines are established.

The junior research group is funded by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) via the Fördernetzwerk Interdisziplinäre Sozialpolitikforschung (FIS).