Gestiegene berufliche Mobilität in Deutschland

Germany’s labour market flexibility has risen in the past 10 years, according to findings published in DIW Berlin’s current Weekly Report (21/2004). Calculations by the Institute’s Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) for the period 1992 to 2002 have found that the number of those starting a new job within one year has risen by more than 30%, to almost 6.3 million persons. Given the falling number of employed persons overall, this dynamism is generated in particular by women and young people.

While the employment orientation among women has risen, men have frequently retired from the labour market early—taking advantage of labour market measures aimed at reducing the labour supply. In east Germany, the employment orientation among women continues to be substantially higher than in west Germany. At the same time, however, their labour market significance has fallen, in particular due to the outward migration of younger women.
The role played by employment centres (“Arbeitsämter”) in helping individuals to secure jobs is comparatively low. For the most part, applicants had been informed of job openings by friends and relatives.