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Moritz Kuhn

Cluster position Alumni

Cluster member 2019-2023

Main research topics

Macroeconomics, labor markets, inequality

CV

Moritz Kuhn was a Professor of Economics at the University of Bonn. Among other positions, he is also a Research Affiliate at the Centre for Economic Policy Research, a Research Fellow at the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), and member of the scientific advisory board of the Institute for Labor Market Research (IAB).  He studied Economics at the University of Mannheim and received his PhD there in 2010.

Interview

What is the best thing about your job?

The freedom and independence of research: What I really value is the freedom to deal with topics and questions that I find interesting and the independence to arrive at results that I consider to be right.

If you had not gone into research, what would you be doing today?

I find investment banking exciting, but I don’t know if that would have made me happy. Or political work – but that would be too exhausting for me.

Who or what inspires you?

Inspiring conversations with people during which I realise that I have really learned something new – often with older, more experienced colleagues. They give me a different view of the world and make me want to think more about certain issues.

When was the last time you had to change your mind?

It feels like daily. Recently I had to change my mind concerning the question of whether “Kurzarbeitergeld” (short-time compensation) works. At first, I could not imagine the miracle effect announced by politicians. But the longer I think about it and discuss it critically, the more convinced I am, because I understand it better.

Which advice would you have needed yourself as a doctoral student?

To think a little outside the box and not always follow the beaten track, but to trust yourself to be creative.