peakverdien

Peakverdien is a theoretical concept in labor economics and related social sciences that describes the point in an individual’s earnings trajectory at which income growth peaks and subsequently plateaus or falls. The term is a coinage from discussions of non-monotonic career patterns, combining the German verb verdienen (to earn) with the English word peak to reflect a maximum in lifetime earnings.

In formal terms, Peakverdien corresponds to the time t* at which the earnings function E(t) satisfies dE/dt = 0 and d^2E/dt^2 < 0. In empirical work, t* is estimated from longitudinal earnings data using methods such as spline regression, piecewise models, or nonparametric smoothing, with uncertainty and sample dependence.

The concept is used to discuss how factors like skill development, technological change, occupational mobility, aging, and policy environments shape the timing and height of the peak. It has implications for retirement planning, wage-policy design, and assessments of inequality, as earlier or later peaks influence lifetime earnings and wealth accumulation.

Critics argue that Peakverdien can oversimplify heterogeneity across individuals and sectors, misidentify peaks due to short- or long-term shocks, and depend on data quality and model specification. It remains a descriptive device rather than a universal law, applicable primarily in contexts with pronounced non-linear earnings paths.

See also: Career earnings, wage growth, human capital theory.