Strukturdauer

Strukturdauer is a term used in economics and related social sciences to describe the duration of structural change within an economy, region, or organization. It refers to the period between the onset of a structural shift—such as a shift in the sectoral composition of output or employment—and the point at which the economy reaches a new, longer‑term structural equilibrium. The concept is often employed to understand how long structural policies, reforms, or external shocks influence the underlying economic structure rather than just temporary cyclical movements.

In economic policy and regional planning, Strukturdauer denotes the time horizon needed for structural measures to translate into observable changes. This includes investments in education and human capital, infrastructure, innovation, and industry policy aimed at adapting to technological change or global competition. The duration is influenced by factors such as capital stock turnover, the speed of technology adoption, regulatory regimes, and the ability of the labor market to adjust—skills retraining, mobility, and wage adjustments all play a role.

Measuring Strukturdauer is not standardized. Researchers may approximate it by examining lags between policy implementation and shifts in sectoral output or employment shares, time to new steady-state indicators, or the duration of structural unemployment. It is common to complement quantitative indicators with qualitative assessments of institutional and market frictions.

See also: Strukturwandel, Strukturpolitik, Arbeitsmarkt, Strukturuntersuchung.