In general, peptic ulcer occurs at equal rates in the East and the West but with marked regional differences in both, even within the same country. In the West, the incidence of peptic ulcer, particularly duodenal ulcer, rose sharply at the turn of the century and has shown a rapid decline in the past three decades. In the East, the rise was equally impressive, but the decline appears to have b...

This paper sheds light on the transferability of human capital in periods of dramatic structural change by analyzing the unique event of German Reunification. We explore whether the comparatively low labor productivity in East Germany after reunification is caused by the depreciation of human capital at reunification, or by unfavorable job characteristics. East German workers should have been h...