Voices & Authors

Former SPD leader and Federal Minister of Labour. Since 2022, Chair of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Germany's federal employment agency, which administers both unemployment benefits and labour market programmes. Publicly vocal on Germany's rising inactivity rate and the challenge of integrating long-term benefit recipients under the Bürgergeld reform.

Leading German empirical economist on disability employment quotas and their effectiveness. His IZA-affiliated work examines whether Germany's compulsory hiring quota for severely disabled workers actually improves employment — particularly relevant given Germany's 2024 Inclusion Act reform.

Finland's Minister of Employment overseeing labour market reform in a high-stakes context — Finland faces structural pressures on disability and sickness benefits while pushing for higher employment rates. Inherited complex negotiations on disability activation vs. welfare.

France's dedicated disability minister overseeing the RQTH employment quota system (6% of workforce) and the AAH disability allowance reform. Led the French Employment Disability Week (SEEPH) in November 2024 with the statement that disabled people 'wish to work and be autonomous'.

Published in 2024 (with Dario Sciulli) on the relationship between poverty, work intensity, and disability across UK, Germany, France, and Italy using EU-SILC data — demonstrating 'genuine state dependence' between disability and poverty. One of Europe's most active disability–labour economics empiricists.