He studied economics at the Vienna University of Economics and at the Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, and he received his Ph.D. in Economics from the European University Institute. Prior to joining the Economics Department at the University of Munich, he held positions at the University of Mannheim and the Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm. His current research is in the field of macroeconomics and labor market economics. He has published his research in leading academic journals, including the Review of Economic Studies, the Journal of the European Economic Association, the Journal of Development Economics and the European Economic Review.