Sebastian Link

Dr. Sebastian Link is a Research Associate at the ifo Center for Macroeconomics and Surveys since April 2018, specializing in macroeconomics with microdata, expectation formation, labor economics, policy evaluation, and minimum wage research. His work provides critical insights for economic policymakers through rigorous analysis of business survey data and macroeconomic trends in the German economy.

Dr. Link earned his doctorate (Dr. oec. publ.) summa cum laude from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, with a dissertation on expectation formation during economic change. His academic background includes:

• Master of Science in Economics, LMU München (2011-2013)
• Bachelor of Science in Economics, University of Mannheim (2008-2011)
• Study Abroad at University of Copenhagen, Denmark (2010-2011)

His research examines how firms form expectations about inflation and wages, the price and employment effects of minimum wages, corporate tax impacts on investment decisions, and business behavior during economic crises. He utilizes sophisticated analysis of the ifo Business Survey microdata to understand heterogeneous firm responses to policy changes and economic shocks across different sectors of the German economy.

Dr. Link's publication record shows consistent contribution to high-impact economic research, with recent work analyzing business responses to potential US trade policy shifts under Trump 2.0, wage inflation expectations accuracy, and the mechanisms through which corporate tax increases affect investment behavior. His research bridges academic rigor with practical policy relevance, frequently informing economic forecasting and policy discussions in Germany.

His scholarly recognition includes:

• Egon-Sohmen Promotionsstipendium (2013-2016)
• Stipendium der Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (2009-2013)
• Gebührenstipendium der Universität Mannheim (2009-2011)

Dr. Link has extensive teaching experience at LMU München, having instructed courses in International Trade, Managerial Economics, Empirical Economics, and Macroeconomics from 2014 to 2018. His research is supported by significant projects including the Gemeinschaftsdiagnose (2022-2026), minimum wage and tax policy research (2023-2026), and pandemic impact studies (2022-2024), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, German Research Foundation, and Deutsche Bundesbank.

As a key contributor to the ifo Economic Forecast and frequent media commentator on labor market developments, particularly Kurzarbeit (short-time work) trends, Dr. Link plays an important role in translating complex economic research into actionable insights for policymakers, businesses, and the public.