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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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

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Monthly Report No. 02/2026

wiiw Monthly Reports read more

Projects in Focus

Economic Strategies for a thriving Danube Region – Policy Note

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

Toward innovation-driven growth: innovation systems and policies in EU member states of Central Eastern Europe

Client: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
Duration: September 2023 - March 2024 read more

Empowering the Geopolitical EU in the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans (GEO-POWER-EU)

Client: European Commission, Horizon Europe
Duration: June 2024 - May 2027 read more

Asian Economic Integration: Using the ADB’s Multi-Region Input Output Tables (MRIOTs) for the Analysis of Tariffs and Protectionism

Client: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Duration: May 2025 - December 2025 read more

Long-term impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on labour market integration of refugees (FIMAS reCOV)

Client: International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)
Duration: March 2023 - December 2023 read more

Geo-economic Interconnectivity Index (GEOII)

Client: Bertelsmann Stiftung
Duration: July 2024 - April 2025 read more

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development (GS4S)

Client: European Commission, Horizon Europe
Duration: January 2024 - December 2026 read more

Impact Evaluation of the Interreg Central Europe Programme

Client: Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE
Duration: September 2020 - March 2023 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

Operationalizing Trade Reforms and Strengthening Trade ClimateLinkages in ADB Operations

Client: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Duration: May 2025 - December 2025 read more

Monitoring and Supporting Western Balkan Convergence with the European Union

Client: Open Society Foundations Western Balkans (OSF)
Duration: November 2024 - December 2025 read more


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