Klaus Wohlrabe

Dr. Klaus Wohlrabe is a Scientific Assistant and Deputy Director of the ifo Center for Macroeconomics and Surveys at the ifo Institute for Economic Research, where he also serves as Head of Surveys. His work focuses on the methodology and evaluation of the ifo business surveys, economic analysis, bibliometrics, efficiency measurement, and time series economics. He has been actively involved with the ifo Institute since 2000, initially as a tutor in macroeconomics and economics before transitioning into his current research and leadership roles.

His research interests span a wide range of topics in applied economics, with a strong emphasis on survey methodology, business cycle analysis, and economic forecasting. He has made significant contributions to understanding the mechanics of the ifo Business Climate Index, the representativeness of business surveys, and the impact of external shocks such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine on firm behavior. His work in bibliometrics includes studies on journal rankings, citation patterns, co-authorship norms, and the efficiency of academic institutions.

His recent publications, from 2020 to 2025, demonstrate a consistent and prolific output. The articles reveal a strong trend towards empirical analysis of survey data, particularly from the ifo Institute, to understand current economic conditions in Germany and globally. Key themes include business sentiment, labor markets, AI adoption, material shortages, and the economic implications of major events. His work often involves sophisticated statistical and econometric methods, including archetypoid analysis and efficiency measurement.

Dr. Wohlrabe has collaborated with numerous researchers, including Lutz Bornmann, Robert Lehmann, and Stefan Sauer, on a wide array of projects. He has contributed to major policy reports, such as those on the economic costs of the Coronavirus shutdown and the competitiveness of German industry.

He is a key figure in the development and dissemination of the ifo Institute's survey tools and findings, having co-edited the 'Handbook of ifo Surveys' and authored numerous sections on the ifo Business Climate Index, the ifo Employment Barometer, and other survey instruments. His work is instrumental in providing timely and reliable economic insights to policymakers, businesses, and the academic community.