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The RWI Essen, an institute of economic research
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A Drop in the Pot
The Ruhr “Pott”, as the industrial Ruhr region is colloquially known, is getting dangerously empty. Demographers say Germans are a dying breed of sorts, mainly because of low birth rates and the Ruhr region is particularly affected. By the year 2015, according to researchers at the RWI Essen, an institute of economic research, 350,000 fewer people will live in the region than do now. That number roughly equals the population of Bochum, a university town in the Ruhr region. At the same time, the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia will continue to grow. The “Pot’s” drain goes against the trend.
Good Luck!
King coal can no longer support people in the region. While miners today still call out a hearty “good luck!” to each other, that luck has long been on the wane. While coal mining has traditionally been the region’s most important industry, most experts don’t seem much of a future in it anymore. Natural gas and nuclear power are replacing coal as energy sources. Steel, another important industry here, also has its problems. The steel industry has been in financial straits for some time and the result has been high unemployment. Young people in particular, seeing dim prospects in the “pot,” are pulling up stakes and trying their luck elsewhere.
A Simple Calculation?
The Ruhr region is still the most densely populated region in all of Germany. Hence many think fewer people living here wouldn’t be such a tragedy. But researchers are of a different opinion. They point out that decreases in the population hurt the local economy, bringing about a drop in the level of so-called “disposable income,” the money, for example, that people spend on services. That has serious ramifications for the whole economy.
The Best in the West?
The researchers at RWI carry out precise analyses of who earns money and how. And while one of their areas of expertise is the economic development of western Germany, they also look at the broader German and European economies: coal and steel from the Ruhr are traded globally. One bright spot researchers have found is the energy sector, an area where western Germany excels.
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