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Mirja Hälbig

Mirja Hälbig
Current Position

since 1/25

Economist at the Centre for Business and Productivity Dynamics (IWH-CBPD)

Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) – Member of the Leibniz Association

Research Interests
  • empirical labour economics
  • empirical productivity research

Mirja Hälbig joined the Department of Structural Change and Productivity as a doctoral student in June 2019 and the Centre for Business and Productivity Dynamics (IWH-CBPD) in January 2025. Her research focuses on minimum wage and productivity.

Mirja Hälbig received her bachelor's degrees from University of Marburg and her master's degree from Leipzig University.

Your contact

Mirja Hälbig
Mirja Hälbig
- Department Structural Change and Productivity
Send Message +49 345 7753-704

Working Papers

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Minimum Wages, Productivity, and Reallocation

Mirja Hälbig Matthias Mertens Steffen Müller

in: IZA Discussion Paper, No. 16160, 2023

Abstract

We study the productivity effect of the German national minimum wage by applying administrative firm data. At the firm level, we confirm positive effects on wages and negative employment effects and document higher productivity even net of output price increases. We find higher wages but no employment effects at the level of aggregate industry × region cells. The minimum wage increased aggregate productivity in manufacturing. We do not find that employment reallocation across firms contributed to these aggregate productivity gains, nor do we find improvements in allocative efficiency. Instead, the productivity gains from the minimum wage result from within-firm productivity improvements only.

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Minimum Wages, Productivity, and Reallocation

Mirja Hälbig Matthias Mertens Steffen Müller

in: IWH Discussion Papers, No. 8, 2023

Abstract

We study the productivity effect of the German national minimum wage combining administrative firm datasets. We analyze firm- and market-level effects, considering output price changes, factor substitution, firm entry and exit, labor reallocation, and short- versus long-run effects. We document higher firm productivity even net of output price increases. Productivity gains are persistent in manufacturing and service sectors. The minimum wage also increased manufacturing productivity at the aggregate level. Neither firm entry and exit nor other forms of employment reallocation between firms contributed to these gains. Instead, aggregate productivity gains from the minimum wage solely stem from within-firm productivity improvements.

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