Prof. Dr. Christian Pfeifer

21335 Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, C4.204
Fon +49.4131.677-2301, christian.pfeifer@leuphana.de
Professor, Professorship of Economics, Applied Microeconomics

Table of contents for this page

Vita

06/2013-present: Professor, Institute of Economics, Department of Applied Microeconomics, Leuphana University Lüneburg

09/2009-06/2013: Assistant Professor (W1), Institute of Economics, Department of Labour and Personnel Economics, Leuphana University Lüneburg (positive evaluation in 2012)

12/2007-08/2009: Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Labour Economics, Leibniz University Hannover (Prof. P. Puhani) 

09/2008-12/2008:Post-Doc, Department of Economics, University of California Berkeley, USA

2007: Dr. rer. pol. (Ph.D. in Economics), Leibniz University Hannover

10/2003-11/2007: Research Assistant, Institute of Labour Economics (Prof. K. Gerlach, Prof. P. Puhani) and Institute of Economic Policy (Prof. L. Hübl, Prof. W. Meyer), Leibniz University Hannover 

2003: “Diplom-Ökonom” (equivalent to Master in Economics and Management), Leibniz University Hannover

Short CV and publication list (pdf) 

Projects

  1. Beschäftigungshemmnisse älterer Arbeitnehmer
    Christian Pfeifer (Project manager, academic) , (Project manager, academic) , (Project manager, academic)
    →

    Project: Research

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Publications

Books and anthologies

  1. Arbeit und Gerechtigkeit: Entlassungen und Lohnkürzungen im Urteil der Bevölkerung
    Olaf Struck (Author) , Gesine Stephan (Author) , Christoph Köhler (Author) , Alexandra Krause (Author) , Christian Pfeifer (Author) , Tatjana Sohr (Author) , 2006 Wiesbaden , 163 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Collected editions and anthologies › Research

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Journal contributions

  1. Organizational Fairness Perceptions, Employee Representation, and Firm Performance
    Jens Mohrenweiser (Author) , Christian Pfeifer (Author) , 01.01.2026 , in: Industrial Relations , 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  2. Unemployment’s Life-Satisfaction Cost and Loneliness
    Tim Friehe (Author) , Christian Pfeifer (Author) , 01.08.2025 , in: Journal of Happiness Studies, 26, 6 , 27 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  3. Editorial: Minimum Wages-Experiences of European Countries
    Matthias Dütsch (Author) , Clemens Ohlert (Author) , Christian Pfeifer (Author) , Conny Wunsch (Author) , 01.01.2025 , in: Jahrbucher fur Nationalokonomie und Statistik, 245, 1-2 , p. 1-5 , 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Other (editorial matter etc.) › Research

  4. Risk tolerance and altruism: evidence on their relationship from Germany
    Tim Friehe (Author) , Christian Pfeifer (Author) , 01.01.2025 , in: Applied Economics Letters , 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  5. Predicting satisfaction with democracy in Germany using local economic conditions, social capital, and individual characteristics
    Tim Friehe (Author) , Christian Pfeifer (Author) , 01.09.2024 , in: Economics of Governance, 25, 3 , p. 335-377 , 43 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

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Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

  1. Vereinbarungen zur Chancengleichheit von Frauen und Männern - Verbreitung und Determinanten in Niedersachsen, West- und Ostdeutschland
    Stephanie Krüger (Author) , Christian Pfeifer (Author) , 01.01.2012 Hannover , p. 99-116 , 18 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research

  2. Explaining Age and Gender Differences in Employment Rates: A Labor Supply Side Perspective
    Stephan Humpert (Author) , Christian Pfeifer (Author) , 01.09.2011 1 ed. , p. 31 , 1 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Published abstract in conference proceedings › Research › peer-review

  3. Ökologische Nachhaltigkeit und Arbeitsmärkte
    Christian Pfeifer (Author) , 01.01.2011 Marburg , p. 227-244 , 18 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research

  4. The effects of training on employee suggestions and promotions in an internal labor market
    Christian Pfeifer (Author) , 01.01.2011 , p. 34 , 1 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Published abstract in conference proceedings › Research › peer-review

  5. Der Einfluss des Jugendsports auf den Bildungs- und Arbeitsmarkterfolg
    Thomas Cornelißen (Author) , Christian Pfeifer (Author) , 01.01.2009 Göttingen , p. 59-68 , 10 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research

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Activities

  1. Firms’ wage structures, workers’ fairness perceptions, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions: Evidence from linked employer-employee data
    Christian Pfeifer (Speaker)
    →

    Activity: Presentations (poster etc.) › Research

  2. Advisory board for UEFA SROI model
    Christian Pfeifer (Consultant)

    Activity: Consultancy ›

  3. Shortening the potential duration of unemployment benefits and labor market outcomes: Evidence from a natural experiment in Germany
    Christian Pfeifer (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  4. Base Salaries, Bonus Payments, and Absenteeism among Managers in a German Company
    Christian Pfeifer (Speaker)
    →

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  5. Intra-firm Wage Dispersion and Cost Coverage of Training: Evidence from German Linked Employer-Employee Data
    Christian Pfeifer (Speaker)
    →

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

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Press / Media

  1. Beauty and the labor market
    1 time cited

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  2. Betriebsräte, Tarifverträge, und freiwillige Kündigungen
    1 time cited

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  3. Neue Beschäftigungsformen
    1 time cited

    Press/Media: Press/Media

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Prizes

  1. Platz 287 im Handelsblatt-Ranking 2019 für Volkswirte (Lifetime)
    Christian Pfeifer (Recipient) ,

    Prize: external Prizes, scholarships, distinctions, appointments › Research

  2. Platz 95 im Handelsblatt-Ranking 2017 für Volkswirte (Forschungsoutput seit 2013)
    Christian Pfeifer (Recipient) ,

    Prize: external Prizes, scholarships, distinctions, appointments › Research

  3. Platz 288 im Handelsblatt-Ranking 2017 für Volkswirte (Lifetime)
    Christian Pfeifer (Recipient) ,

    Prize: external Prizes, scholarships, distinctions, appointments › Research

  4. 2nd place Leading House Best Paper Award 2013 (Swiss Leading House "Economics of Education") for "Effects of Training on Employee Suggestions and Promotions: Evidence from Personnel Records" in Schmalenbach Business Review (Christian Pfeifer, Simon Janssen, Philip Yang und Uschi Backes-Gellner)
    Christian Pfeifer (Recipient) ,

    Prize: external Prizes, scholarships, distinctions, appointments › Research

  5. Best Young Researcher of the Year 2012 der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg (3. Platz
    Christian Pfeifer (Recipient) ,

    Prize: Leuphana internal Prize, Scholaships, distinctions, appointments › Research

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Courses

'Happiness Research': An Empirical Approach Towards the Understanding of Satisfaction and Well-being of Individuals and Regions
Christian Pfeifer
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This course is part of the complementary studies (Komplementärstudium). The teaching and examination language is German. But all materials (including slides, literature, online sources) are in English so that English speaking students will be able to follow the course. German speaking students must be able to deal with this English material and the German teaching language will help you with that. Although “Happiness research” is interdisciplinary and empirically driven, the course has a focus on the literature from economics (and psychology). But no specific knowledge from economics or econometrics is necessary for the course.

The first part of the course is lecture-based and gives an introduction to happiness research, its use for science and policy as well as some conceptional issues. Moreover, students are shown with real world data how aggregated happiness statistics are generated and how regression analyses are conducted in a statistical software package. Several empirical examples will be given.

In the second part of the course, students have to present “Happiness Reports” in groups, which also compare nations and regions. Whereas the “World Happiness Reports” are more explicitly related to happiness and satisfaction, the OECD reports “How’s life? Measuring well-being” take a broader perspective on well-being, of which satisfaction is only one measure. Each group has to present one report in one session (+ discussion in class) with a short introduction and conclusion; but the main focus should be on the presentation of the chapters about specific topics.

The jointly graded group presentations account for 50% of the total individual grade. The remaining 50% of the total grade are based on a short essay each student has to write.
Next appointment:
Wednesday, 2026-05-13 at 12:15
Room: C 12.112 Seminarraum
Applied Microeconomics II: Labor Economics
Christian Pfeifer
⌄
This labor economics course is compulsory for Major Economics as a component of “Applied Microeconomics” (4th term), in which microeconomic theory from previous terms is applied to the labor market. It includes decisions of workers and firms about labor supply and labor demand, the labor market equilibrium in competitive and non-competitive labor markets, unemployment, unions etc.

1. Labor supply [B2]
2. Labor demand [B3]
2.1. Labor demand in the short-run with perfect competition
2.2. Labor demand in the short-run with imperfect competition [B4.9+4.10]
2.3. Application: Minimum wages and labor demand in the short-run
2.4. Labor demand in the long-run with perfect competition
3. Labor market equilibrium: Shocks, Mobility, Unemployment, and Unions [B4, B12.2+12.4+12.10, B10]

Mandatory textbook reading: [B] Borjas, G.J. (2013), Labor Economics, 6th edition, McGraw-Hill. (older and newer editions are also OK)

The presented theories are accompanied by applications, numerical and empirical examples, statistics, home assignments, general discussion points for repetition, class and group discussions.

Applications: The basic models are applied to discuss specific topics (e.g., workaholics, unemployment benefits, minimum wages) during the lecture.

Numerical examples and MC examples: The numerical examples illustrate the functioning of the models. Some examples for multiple choice test questions are also given.

Empirical examples using Stata: Students estimate life satisfaction regressions in the context of labor supply, employment regressions in the context of labor demand, and analyze the Phillips curve.

Home assignments: The general home assignment is to repeat the slides from the lecture and to read the Chapters in Borjas. The general discussion points for repetition should help students to repeat the lecture and to reflect on the basics. Students should do further home assignments to deepen their understanding about specific topics (e.g., videos OECD employment outlook, minimum wages).

Class and group discussions: Students should discuss specific topics and questions in groups and present their results in class.
Next appointment:
Tuesday, 2026-05-12 at 14:15
Room: C 9.102 Seminarraum
Bachelor Thesis Colloquium
Christian Pfeifer
⌄
In each academic year, you can register your bachelor thesis at three different dates – mid of April (group 1), end of May (group 2), or end of November (group 3) – and attend the accompanying mandatory bachelor thesis colloquium where you receive feedback about your planned thesis and your progress while working on it. The bachelor thesis colloquium is offered separately for each of the three groups of students and has three sessions. Before attending the first session of the bachelor thesis colloquium you should already have a general idea about the topic of your thesis, prospective supervisors, and the type of thesis you want to write.

For further details on the bachelor thesis and the accompanying bachelor thesis colloquium, refer to the pdf document provided at: https://www.leuphana.de/en/institutes/ivwl/bachelor-theses.html

To pass the colloquium, you have to attend these sessions and provide and present an outline of your thesis (in the second session) and present the preliminary state of your thesis while working on it (in the third session).
Next appointment:
Tuesday, 2026-05-19 at 16:15
Room: C 5.310 Seminarraum
Master forum
Johannes Lohse, Mario Mechtel, Christian Pfeifer, Florian Unger
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The seminar is designed to help master students write their master thesis by discussing their work with the instructor and other students. Examination requirements are a presentation on the status of the thesis and the submission of a chapter (preliminary version) in written form. During the Master's Forum I, all students presented their master's topic in a poster presentation. In Master Forum II, you will continue your work by presenting your status of work during the seminar, including progress since the end of January. To do this, you are to upload your presentation to MyStudy by 18:00 on the Sunday before your presentation for all to access. Presentation dates you choose via the group function of MyStudy, depending on the number of participants you have the following presentation times: 30 minutes for 2 participants, 20 minutes for 3 participants, and 15 minutes for 4 participants. Furthermore, all participants must upload a (preliminary) main chapter of their paper, presumably on the state of the literature, in the material folder no later than August 31, 24:00. Presentation will be 1/3 of the grade, main chapter 2/3.
Next appointment:
Monday, 2026-05-11 at 16:15
Room: C 4.111 Seminarraum
Research Seminar in Economics
Boris Hirsch, Johannes Lohse, Mario Mechtel, Christian Pfeifer, Florian Unger, Joachim Wagner, Thomas Wein
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Vorträge zu laufenden Forschungsarbeiten von Promovierenden und Wissenschaftlern des Instituts sowie von auswärtigen Gästen.

Die Referenten sollten möglichst min. eine Woche vor dem Vortrag ihr Papier an Boris Hirsch schicken, der es dann für alle Teilnehmer zugänglich in MyStudy hochladen wird. Hierdurch sollen tiefergehende Diskussionen der Papiere ermöglicht werden.

* im Seminarplan: Externe Gäste, mit denen wir vermutlich am Dienstagabend Essen gehen werden, wozu alle Interessierten gerne mitkommen können (Info bei Boris Hirsch).
Next appointment:
Tuesday, 2026-05-12 at 12:15
Room: C 5.019 Seminarraum