Family and Labor Market Policies in Germany: The Well-Being of Working Women

Abstract

In Germany, women’s participation in the labor market has historically differed from that of men. Despite recent efforts on the part of the federal government to support policies that encourage labor force participation for women, large gender gaps in employment remain. This chapter explores the way historical and cultural trends have led to the differences in labor market status for women in Germany and discusses recent policies that have influenced women’s participation in the labor market. The German Socio-economic Panel (SOEP) is used to examine the trends in women’s labor force participation in relationship to their well-being. Different measures of global satisfaction including: life, work, child care, and health are examined. Results show that women have become much more likely to participate in the labor market, but also reveal that these effects are not the same for all women. Rather, policies that have encouraged labor market participation have differed between women who have experienced more privilege within the labor market compared to those who are less privileged. Implications for women’s labor market connection and well-being is discussed.