3 October 2025 will mark the 35th anniversary of the reunification of East and West Germany. On this day in 1990, the Unification Treaty came into force that saw the former GDR accede to the Federal Republic of Germany. Some of the former disparities between the economies and labour markets of the eastern and western parts of the country have diminished sharply in that time. For example, unemployment and the proportion of the population in employment in Germany’s east have improved dramatically. It remains the case, however, that a higher proportion of mothers in eastern Germany have a job than their counterparts in the west, although that gap is closing too. There are other noticeable differences as well, such as in economic power and income levels. The gaps have also narrowed in these areas, but parity is not on the horizon any time soon.
Is the east-west divide in terms of unemployment now smaller than the north-south divide? What impact are demographic change and structural change having on the economy and the labour market in the east and west of the country? How quickly are the regions ageing and which regions are most affected? And how have gender-specific differences in career progression between eastern and western Germany changed over time?
We have compiled a list of IAB publications and projects on this page that are related to the subject of 35 years of reunification.
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- Publications on the topic: 35 years of reunification
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