Gender und Arbeitsmarkt
Das Themendossier "Gender und Arbeitsmarkt" bietet wissenschaftliche und politiknahe Veröffentlichungen zu den Themen Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen und Männern, Müttern und Vätern, Berufsrückkehrenden, Betreuung/Pflege und Arbeitsteilung in der Familie, Work-Life-Management, Determinanten der Erwerbsbeteiligung, geschlechtsspezifische Lohnunterschiede, familien- und steuerpolitische Regelungen sowie Arbeitsmarktpolitik für Frauen und Männer.
Mit dem Filter „Autorenschaft“ können Sie auf IAB-(Mit-)Autorenschaft eingrenzen.
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Männern
- Kinderbetreuung und Pflege
- Berufliche Geschlechtersegregation
- Berufsrückkehr – Wiedereinstieg in den Arbeitsmarkt
- Dual-Career-Couples
- Work-Life
- Geschlechtsspezifische Lohnunterschiede
- Familienpolitische Rahmenbedingungen
- Aktive/aktivierende Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- Arbeitslosigkeit und passive Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- geografischer Bezug
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Literaturhinweis
Gender pay gap among non-executive directors in Spanish boards (2026)
Zitatform
Acero, Isabel & Nuria Alcalde (2026): Gender pay gap among non-executive directors in Spanish boards. In: Applied Economics, Jg. 58, H. 24, S. 4667-4679. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2025.2499209
Abstract
"This study focuses on the existence or not of a gender pay gap (GPG) among non-executive directors (NEDs) in Spanish boards. For this purpose, we used a sample covering 4,018 positions/year for NEDs in 57 Spanish listed firms over a 10-year period (2013–2022). The results obtained suggest that, controlling for individual characteristics of the directors, the type of position held as well as the features of the company and its corporate governance system, female NEDs receive approximately 11% less remuneration than their male counterparts. Therefore, our findings do not support the idea that female directors are a scarce resource that firms compete for and reward. The results also highlight the need to differentiate by categories of directors when analysing the GPG in the board. In fact, we find that the GPG is higher for proprietary directors (around 18%) than for independent directors (around 6%). In terms of practical implications, our results may be of interest to policy-makers who are considering gender equity policies to break the glass ceiling." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Social Security, Gender and Class: The impacts of the Universal Credit Conditionality Regime on Unpaid Care and Paid Work (2026)
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Andersen, Kate (2026): Social Security, Gender and Class: The impacts of the Universal Credit Conditionality Regime on Unpaid Care and Paid Work. In: Social Policy and Society, Jg. 25, H. 1, S. 44-59. DOI:10.1017/S1474746424000071
Abstract
"The introduction of Universal Credit, a new means-tested benefit for working-aged people in the UK, entails a significant expansion of welfare conditionality. Due to mothers’ disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care, women are particularly affected by the new conditionality regime for parents who have the primary responsibility for the care of dependent children. This article draws upon qualitative longitudinal research with twenty-four mothers subject to the new conditionality regime to analyze the gendered impacts of this new policy and whether there is variation in experiences according to social class. The analysis demonstrates that the new conditionality regime devalues unpaid care and is of limited efficacy in improving sustained moves into paid work. It also shows that the negative gendered impacts of the conditionality within Universal Credit are at times exacerbated for working-class mothers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
To Grandmother's House We Go: Informal Childcare and Female Labor Mobility (2026)
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Anstreicher, Garrett & Joanna Venator (2026): To Grandmother's House We Go: Informal Childcare and Female Labor Mobility. In: International Economic Review, Jg. 67, H. 3, S. 1043-1068. DOI:10.1111/iere.70067
Abstract
"We document how childcare costs and the location of extended family influence the labor supply and mobility of US women. Women return to their home locations immediately before fertility events, suggesting that informal childcare needs may motivate home migration. Women who live near their parents have lower child earnings penalties. We then build a model of labor supply and migration to assess the impacts of childcare subsidies. Childcare subsidies increase earnings and mobility among US women and ignoring migration can understate the welfare benefits of these policies, especially for college-educated women and those whose parents' locations have poor amenities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Frauen in Vorständen und Aufsichtsräten großer Unternehmen: Aufwärtstrend der letzten Jahre kommt größtenteils zum Halt (2026)
Zitatform
Antezza, Arianna, Alina Meiner & Katharina Wrohlich (2026): Frauen in Vorständen und Aufsichtsräten großer Unternehmen: Aufwärtstrend der letzten Jahre kommt größtenteils zum Halt. In: DIW-Wochenbericht, Jg. 93, H. 3, S. 17-29. DOI:10.18723/diw_wb:2026-3-2
Abstract
"Der Frauenanteil in den Vorständen und Aufsichtsräten der größten privaten Unternehmen in Deutschland ist seit Beginn der Datenerfassung für das DIW Managerinnen-Barometer vor 20 Jahren stark gestiegen. Lag er in den Vorständen der 200 umsatzstärksten Unternehmen in Deutschland im Jahr 2006 noch bei gut einem Prozent, waren es zuletzt rund 19 Prozent. Der Anteil der Aufsichtsrätinnen ist in der Top-200-Gruppe seit 2006 von knapp acht auf rund 34 Prozent gestiegen. In den weiteren untersuchten Unternehmensgruppen, darunter die DAX-Unternehmen sowie die größten Banken und Versicherungen des Landes, verlief die Entwicklung sehr ähnlich. Das jüngste Erhebungsjahr des Managerinnen-Barometers ist diesbezüglich aber ein Wermutstropfen: Bis zum Spätherbst 2025 stagnierte der Frauenanteil in den Vorständen fast aller untersuchten Unternehmensgruppen im Vorjahresvergleich – mancherorts war er sogar rückläufig. Eine Ausnahme bildet der Finanzsektor, wo der Frauenanteil in den Vorständen weiter zugenommen hat. Derzeit ist es noch zu früh, um zu beurteilen, ob diese Entwicklung nur eine leichte Delle im längerfristig positiven Verlauf ist oder ob es sich um den Beginn einer längeren Phase der Stagnation oder sogar rückläufigen Entwicklung beim Frauenanteil in Führungspositionen handelt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
The Gender Pay Gap in University Student Internships (2026)
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Antoni, Manfred, Hans-Dieter Gerner, Robert Jäckle & Stefan Schwarz (2026): The Gender Pay Gap in University Student Internships. In: German Economic Review, Jg. 27, H. 3, S. 283-329., 2025-09-18. DOI:10.1515/ger-2024-0130
Abstract
"Internships are an important and often mandatory part of academic education. They offer valuable insights into the labor market but can also expose students to negative aspects of the working world, such as gender pay disparities. We provide first evidence of a gender pay gap in mandatory internships, with women earning up to 21 % less per hour than men. This gap is not due to women choosing higher-quality internships over higher pay. Factors such as field of study, risk aversion, competitiveness, the focus of the internship, and firm characteristics account for a large share of the gap. Further analyses show that the internship pay gap is broadly similar to the wage gap at labor market entry among graduates. We discuss potential mechanisms through which the internship pay gap may be related to the entry wage gap." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © DeGruyter Brill) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Gender choice at work (2026)
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Aragonès, Enriqueta (2026): Gender choice at work. In: Economic analysis and policy, Jg. 89, S. 490-504. DOI:10.1016/j.eap.2025.12.018
Abstract
"This paper analyzes the demand based causes of gender discrimination in the labor market and it aims at explaining the currently existing gender gaps in terms of labor market participation and labor income. I propose a formal model to analyze the gender discrimination that individuals face at work due to taste-based discrimination. I study the effects of discrimination on the labor market participation, income, and utility distributions and compare these effects between the female and male sectors of the society. I show that the conditions that dissipate the gender gaps improve efficiency as well. However, in order to reach a first best it is necessary to eliminate all kinds of gender related idiosyncratic preferences that are based on stereotypes and conscious and unconscious biases." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Economic Society of Australia (Queensland) Inc.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Getting In but Not Getting On: Inequality Regimes, Usurpation and Resistance in the Medical Profession (2026)
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Atkinson, Carol & Carol Woodhams (2026): Getting In but Not Getting On: Inequality Regimes, Usurpation and Resistance in the Medical Profession. In: Work, Employment and Society, S. 1-23. DOI:10.1177/09500170261447211
Abstract
"This article explores inequality regimes in medicine, examining structures that create social closure and explaining the under-representation of women from racio-ethnic minorities at senior levels and in high-status specialties. We juxtapose these with agency to evidence how inequality regimes are experienced and navigated through accommodatory usurpation and everyday resistance. Drawing on 26 interviews with women of varying racio-ethnic backgrounds, the findings illustrate deeply embedded inequality regimes that maintain White, male norms; individual agency did not change these regimes, meaning women could progress only where they could comply with them. We contribute to the understanding of inequality in medicine, where women’s experiences remain under-researched. We also contribute to inequalities theory and the understanding of change by offering a rare juxtaposition of structural inequality with individual agency to evidence the latter’s limitations. We argue that collective agency is needed to create radical change and enable women’s progression. Practically, we argue for collective organisational change driven, potentially, by coalition building." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Technological progress, occupational structure and gender gaps in the German labour market (2026)
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Bachmann, Ronald & Myrielle Gonschor (2026): Technological progress, occupational structure and gender gaps in the German labour market. In: International Journal of Manpower, Jg. 47, H. 2, S. 403-422. DOI:10.1108/ijm-10-2024-0711
Abstract
"Purpose: This study examines whether advances in technology and shifts in the occupational structure have enhanced women's position within the labour market. It answers the following research questions: First, how has the occupational employment structure evolved over the last decades, and how is this related to gender gaps? Second, which factors explain the gender gap and its narrowing over time? Design/methodology/approach: We use individual-level panel data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) for West Germany over the period 1985–2017 and individual-level task data from the BIBB Employment survey. We use the task intensity of an occupation and the task group an occupation belongs to as proxies for technological change. To analyze explanatory factors, we use a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition. Findings: Women are increasingly engaging in non-routine manual and interactive occupations. The concurrent narrowing of the gender wage gap is attributable to declining gender wage gaps within task groups rather than between them. Observable factors, such as education have grown in importance to the gender wage gap, whereas the importance of unexplained factors has strongly declined. Technological change plays no significant role in the evolution of the gender wage gap. By contrast, part-time employment exerts a substantial influence on the gender wage gap. Originality/value: Our analysis includes part-time and high-skilled workers frequently excluded from other studies. The use of individual-level data combined with task information for occupations facilitates the examination of long-run developments such as technological change both between and within task groups." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Disaggregating Gender Income Disparities in STEM: Cohort and Family Factors in a Nordic Welfare State (2026)
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Bairoh, Susanna, Satu Pyöriä & Niklas Mäkinen (2026): Disaggregating Gender Income Disparities in STEM: Cohort and Family Factors in a Nordic Welfare State. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 40, H. 1, S. 113-134. DOI:10.1177/09500170251366157
Abstract
"The article examines the income trajectories of women and men in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in Finland, a country within the Nordic labour market context that strives for gender equality. The study uses total population register data from Finnish STEM degree holders with at least a bachelor’s degree, aged 30–40 years, selecting cohorts born in 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and 1980 (N = 31,865). This study estimates how cohort, becoming a parent, and co-residing with a spouse affect income trajectories for women and men. The findings reveal persistent gender income disparities across cohorts, with economic turbulence potentially widening the differences. The results support the motherhood penalty and, unexpectedly, address a ‘living-alone penalty’ for men. Even with a design examining STEM graduates at the same career stage, gender differences remain significant and are not alleviated by the Nordic welfare state context." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Investing in Mothers? The Long-Run Impact of a Universal Child Care Program on Maternal Work and Income (2026)
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Baker, Michael, Jonathan Gruber & Kevin S. Milligan (2026): Investing in Mothers? The Long-Run Impact of a Universal Child Care Program on Maternal Work and Income. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 35514), Cambridge, Mass, 58 S., App.
Abstract
"We provide new estimates of the effects of universal child care on the long-term labor outcomes of mothers, documenting the life-cycle impact of Quebec's universal, subsidized child care program on maternal labor supply, earnings, social program benefit receipt and tax remittances. We find an enduring positive impact on mothers' employment long after children have aged out of the preschool years. There is also a long-run impact on earnings which grows to be twice as large as the participation effect. This arises because of growth in the intensity of labor force participation and a rise in hourly wages over time, suggesting that initial investments in work have multiplier effects later in women's careers. There is clear evidence of occupational upgrading but most of the growth is within occupation, including the impact of more labor market experience in the years after children are out of child care. We show that, as a result, tax remittances grow over the lifecycle, and social assistance and employment insurance receipts fall. Our estimate of the fiscal balance of these effects reveals that the net present value of the flow of fiscal benefits may recapture between 75 and 117 percent of the upfront costs of the program." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Does Performance Pay Increase the Risk of Worker Loneliness? (2026)
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Baktash, Mehrzad B. (2026): Does Performance Pay Increase the Risk of Worker Loneliness? In: Kyklos, Jg. 79, H. 1, S. 129-148. DOI:10.1111/kykl.70018
Abstract
"Increased wages and productivity associated with performance pay can be beneficial to both employers and employees. However, performance pay can also entail unintended consequences for workers' well-being. This study is the first to systematically examine the association between performance pay and loneliness, a significant policy-relevant social well-being concern. Using representative survey data from Germany, I show that performance pay is significantly associated with increased loneliness. Correspondingly, performance pay is negatively associated with the social life satisfaction of workers. Investigating the transmission channels reveals work hours, earnings, conflict with coworkers, and conflict with the life partner as important mediators. The key findings also hold in sensible instrumental variable estimations, addressing the potential endogeneity of performance pay and in various robustness checks. Finally, implications are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Does performance pay increase the risk of marital instability? (2026)
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Baktash, Mehrzad B., John S. Heywood & Uwe Jirjahn (2026): Does performance pay increase the risk of marital instability? In: Review of Economics of the Household, Jg. 24, H. 2, S. 443-474. DOI:10.1007/s11150-024-09738-1
Abstract
"This study is the first to systematically examine the association between performance pay and marital instability. Using German survey data on married couples and including an extensive set of controls, we show that performance pay is associated with an increased probability of subsequent separation or divorce. Yet, the results are entirely gender specific. When husbands earn performance pay, no association with marital instability is found. When wives earn performance pay, the association is large and robust. This pattern persists across a variety of modeling choices and holds in instrumental variable estimations accounting for the endogeneity of performance pay. We argue that the pattern fits theoretical expectations and discuss the implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Falling behind unequally: labour market outcomes of Italian couples after childbirth* (2026)
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Barbieri, Teresa, Michele Bavaro & Valeria Cirillo (2026): Falling behind unequally: labour market outcomes of Italian couples after childbirth*. In: Applied Economics, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2026.2624051
Abstract
"This study explores how childbirth differently shapes the career trajectories of men and women within the same couples, with a particular focus on gender disparities in experiencing downward labour transitions following the birth of their first child. Using a unique survey-administrative linked dataset, we track couples’ labour market trajectories to analyse transitions from employment to unemployment, full-time to part-time employment, and higher-paid to lower-paid jobs. Additionally, the dataset allows to link partners, enabling the study of factors influencing differences in the probabilities of downward labour market transitions between partners in the same household. Our findings reveal substantial and persistent penalties for women, lasting up to three years after childbirth, which are mainly related to part-time job arrangements. When examining differences in probabilities within couples, households in which women have tertiary education with respect to their partners and are the primary earners exhibit smaller gender disparities in the likelihood of downward labour transitions with respect to other households." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Workplace Flexibility and the Motherhood Penalty: Evidence from the Diffusion of Remote Work (2026)
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Basso, Gaetano, Maria de Paola, Salvatore Lattanzio & Matteo Paradisi (2026): Workplace Flexibility and the Motherhood Penalty: Evidence from the Diffusion of Remote Work. (RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 2026,140), Berlin, 40 S., App.
Abstract
"We study whether workplace flexibility is a key driver of the motherhood penalty. Exploiting the sharp and heterogeneous diffusion of work-from-home (WFH) contracts after COVID-19 in a difference-in-differences framework, we combine administrative data on the universe of Italian WFH contracts with matched employer--employee records, mother-father links, fertility records, and firm balance sheets. Greater exposure to flexible work substantially reduces mothers' post-childbirth earnings losses, primarily through higher weeks worked, lower part-time incidence, lower parental leave take-up, and improved career progression. IV estimates indicate that holding a WFH contract offsets about 77% of mothers' earnings losses around childbirth. Gains are larger among younger, lower-earning, and commuting mothers, in households where the father is the dominant earner, and in occupations with steeper hours-earnings profiles, consistent with flexibility relaxing constraints where most binding. Fathers' own earnings do not respond to flexibility around childbirth, yet fathers' exposure to flexible work reduces mothers' earnings losses by a comparable magnitude, pointing to household-level time constraints as a central mechanism. Consistent with this interpretation, fertility, a joint household decision, rises for women more exposed to flexibility, as flexibility lowers the labor-market cost of the marginal child. A counterfactual exercise shows that the life-cycle widening of the gender earnings gap would have been 10.7% smaller under current WFH diffusion and up to 29.4% smaller if all remotable jobs had adopted flexible arrangements." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Distribution of gender and labour force participation and filial support types in Europe and Israel (2026)
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Batur, Zeynep Zümer, Jeroen K. Vermunt, Dimitri Mortelmans & Jorik Vergauwen (2026): Distribution of gender and labour force participation and filial support types in Europe and Israel. In: Ageing & Society, Jg. 46, S. 1-19. DOI:10.1017/s0144686x25100391
Abstract
"Informal care-giving studies have largely ignored how gender and labour force participation intersect to shape filial support across diverse national contexts over time. In particular, comparative longitudinal research that explores care-giving intensity in relation to adult children’s employment status and gender remains scarce. This study addresses this gap by developing a typology of filial support and examining how care-giving patterns vary by gender and labour force participation across different country clusters in Europe and Israel. Drawing on longitudinal data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we apply latent Markov models and multi-level latent class analysis to identify seven distinct filial support states, ranging from no support to very intense support. We also classify 28 countries into three clusters based on levels of involvement in filial support: low, moderate and high. Our findings indicate significant disparities based on gender and employment status, with daughters tending to provide more intensive support than sons, even when employed. Unemployed sons in countries with moderate involvement in filial support were three times more likely to provide intensive care compared to their counterparts in countries characterized by low or higher involvement. These variations suggest that support to ageing parents is deeply shaped by gendered employment opportunities and cultural care-giving norms. This complexity underscores the necessity for nuanced policy approaches to support care-givers effectively, considering both gender inequalities and employment contexts. Recognizing these intricate patterns of informal care can inform targeted interventions, ultimately addressing the care-giving burden within ageing societies more effectively." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Debiasing entrepreneurial careers: A field experiment on female role model effects on entrepreneurial self-efficacy and early-stage career choices (2026)
Bechthold, Laura; Huber, Laura Rosendahl; Eddleston, Kimberly A.;Zitatform
Bechthold, Laura, Laura Rosendahl Huber & Kimberly A. Eddleston (2026): Debiasing entrepreneurial careers: A field experiment on female role model effects on entrepreneurial self-efficacy and early-stage career choices. In: Journal of business venturing, Jg. 41, H. 3. DOI:10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106582
Abstract
"Women remain underrepresented not only as founders but also as employees – or “joiners” – in young and small firms, limiting their exposure to entrepreneurial environments that often serve as critical pathways to venture creation. To address this gap, we investigate whether introducing female entrepreneur role models in educational settings can shape young women's entrepreneurial self-efficacy and early career choices. Drawing on role congruity theory and social cognitive career theory (SCCT), we conducted a field experiment involving over 430 university students and 98 early-stage entrepreneurs. Using a pre-test/post-test design and longitudinal tracking of early career choices, we explore the causal effects of exogenously assigned female role models on students' decisions to join a young or small firm. We find that exposure to social interactions with female entrepreneurs significantly boosts female students' entrepreneurial self-efficacy. More importantly, women who were paired with a female entrepreneur were over 10% more likely to join a young firm after graduation compared to those assigned to a male entrepreneur. Mediation analysis confirms that entrepreneurial self-efficacy is a key mechanism linking exposure to same-sex role models with women's decision to join a young firm. These findings highlight the potential of targeted role model interventions to reduce gender disparities in entrepreneurial entry pathways and expand the diversity of entrepreneurial ecosystems." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Is there a desired added worker effect? Evidence from involuntary job losses (2026)
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Beckmannshagen, Mattis & Rick Glaubitz (2026): Is there a desired added worker effect? Evidence from involuntary job losses. In: Review of Economics of the Household, Jg. 24, H. 2, S. 839-874. DOI:10.1007/s11150-024-09742-5
Abstract
"While the existing evidence on added worker effects is mixed, most studies find no or only small effects. However, studies to date have mostly analyzed individuals’ actual labor supply responses to their partners’ job loss, neglecting to consider a potential mismatch between desired and actual labor supply adjustments. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), we study individuals’ changes in actual and desired working hours after their partners’ involuntary job loss in an event study design. Our results show that actual and desired working hours only increase marginally and that these increases are of similar magnitude. Thus, we provide first evidence that the absence of more substantial added worker effects is in line with individuals’ stated labor supply preferences and is not the result of an inability to realize desired working hours." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
How Important is Selection into Full-time and Part-time Employment? A New Panel Data Sample Selection Model for Estimating Wage Profiles (2026)
Zitatform
Been, Jim, Marike Knoef & Heike Vethaak (2026): How Important is Selection into Full-time and Part-time Employment? A New Panel Data Sample Selection Model for Estimating Wage Profiles. In: Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, Jg. 44, H. 1, S. 215-226. DOI:10.1080/07350015.2025.2520851
Abstract
"The literature has shown that correcting for self-selection into work is important for the estimation of wage profiles. In this paper, we analyze to what extent intensive labor supply choices add valuable otherwise unobserved information to improve wage profile estimates. We develop a panel data sample selection model that allows for discrete choices in labor supply decisions and apply this to high-quality administrative data. Compared to labor supply decisions at the extensive margin, our new approach is able to control for additional unobserved heterogeneity from intensive labor supply choices with important consequences for the existence and direction of selection into (part-time) work. Applied to the data, we find that such information is especially important for estimating part-time wage profiles for women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Labor supply responses to tax credit disbursements: Evidence from the EITC schedule (2026)
Bibler, Andrew J.;Zitatform
Bibler, Andrew J. (2026): Labor supply responses to tax credit disbursements: Evidence from the EITC schedule. In: Economic Inquiry, Jg. 64, H. 2, S. 555-573. DOI:10.1111/ecin.70040
Abstract
"The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) schedule and lump-sum disbursement can create significant labor supply responses. I estimate labor supply responses to tax credit disbursements using a regression kink design. Among single workers, credits increase labor supply around the time that tax credits are disbursed at the first and second kinks in the EITC schedule but reduce labor supply on the intensive margin at the third kink. There is some evidence of heterogeneous responses among married women, including an increase in labor supply near the third kink, although findings in the sample of married women appear less robust." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Freund*in und Helfer*in? Frauen sind bei Polizei, Rettungsdienst und insbesondere der Feuerwehr unterrepräsentiert (2026)
Zitatform
Bindler, Anna, Felix Böttger & Katharina Wrohlich (2026): Freund*in und Helfer*in? Frauen sind bei Polizei, Rettungsdienst und insbesondere der Feuerwehr unterrepräsentiert. In: DIW-Wochenbericht, Jg. 93, H. 18, S. 259-267. DOI:10.18723/diw_wb:2026-18-1
Abstract
"Frauen sind in Erstretterberufen – dazu zählen Polizei, Rettungsdienst und Feuerwehr – unterrepräsentiert. Zwar ist der Frauenanteil im Rettungsdienst undbei der Polizei in den vergangenen Jahren gestiegen, lag zuletzt aber weiter nur bei 34 Prozent (Rettungsdienst) beziehungsweise 28 Prozent (Bundespolizei) und 35 Prozent (Durchschnitt Landespolizei). In den Berufsfeuerwehren ist der Anteil mit unter drei Prozent noch einmal deutlich geringer. Dies ist bemerkenswert, da der Mädchen- beziehungsweise Frauenanteil in der Jugendfeuerwehr und in der Freiwilligen Feuerwehr mit 31 und elf Prozent deutlich höher liegt. Zudem sind die berufsspezifischen Belastungen für Beschäftigte im Rettungsdienst und in der Feuerwehr ähnlich hoch. Mögliche Gründe für den besonders geringen Frauenanteil in der Berufsfeuerwehr sind unter anderem institutionelle Zugangsvoraussetzungen (etwa berufliche Voraussetzungen) sowie geschlechterstereotype Zuschreibungen, die mit diesem Beruf verbunden sind. Da der Arbeitskräftemangel in den systemrelevanten Erstretterberufen groß ist, sollte die Politik mit einer Überprüfung der Zugangsvoraussetzungen und Informationskampagnen versuchen, mehr Frauen für dieses Berufsfeld zu gewinnen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
What hinders employees’ access to and use of family-friendly policies: a systematic review of motivations, opportunities, and abilities (2026)
Zitatform
Blom, Rutger & Lianne Aarntzen (2026): What hinders employees’ access to and use of family-friendly policies: a systematic review of motivations, opportunities, and abilities. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-40. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2026.2625440
Abstract
"In recent decades, many people increasingly need to juggle work with family responsibilities. Despite the availability of family-friendly organizational policies aimed at alleviating these challenges, employees are often not granted access to them, do not perceive them as accessible, and are reluctant to use them. This systematic review examines the barriers hindering the effective implementation of family-friendly policies using a multilevel Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) framework. Reviewing 80 empirical studies on antecedents of access to and use of family-friendly policies, we evaluated the strength of evidence for each antecedent based on the study quality, consistency across studies, and the degree to which the study could be generalized to real-life contexts. Findings reveal that (1) lack of support at different stakeholder levels is a key barrier to access and use of policies, (2) underprivileged workers are restrained from access, (3) gendered workplace norms exclude men from using policies, (4) female-dominated occupations and sectors offer the lowest access to family-friendly policies. Under-researched areas, such as the sector and coworker levels, along with the ability dimension of the MOA framework, require further exploration. The insights derived in this review may help the development of targeted organizational interventions, supporting employees to achieve a satisfactory work-life balance." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The impact of a parental leave benefit reform on parents' leave-taking, labor supply and childcare arrangements (2026)
Zitatform
Boll, Christina & Till Nikolka (2026): The impact of a parental leave benefit reform on parents' leave-taking, labor supply and childcare arrangements. In: Review of Economics of the Household, S. 1-38. DOI:10.1007/s11150-026-09845-1
Abstract
"We analyze the causal effects of a parental leave benefit reform on parents in Germany. The reform added new features to the existing scheme increasing flexibility for take-up and providing incentives for parents to work part-time during the parental leave phase. We exploit the quasi-experimental allocation of births around the eligibility date to estimate intent-to-treat-effects of the reform on parental leave take-up, parents’ labor market involvement, intra-couple childcare division and institutional childcare demand and uptake. We find that parental leave take-up of college-educated fathers in the treatment group is higher than that in the control group. Furthermore, fathers in the treatment group reduce working hours but we do not observe any significant changes for mothers. However, mothers in the treatment group whose partners have a college degree report that they would like to work more hours when returning to the labor market compared to those in the control group. While we do not find effects on intra-couple childcare division, our analysis reveals higher demand for institutional childcare among parents in the treatment group in case the father holds a college degree. However, higher childcare demand is only reflected by higher uptake among parents with children aged three or older. We suggest that parents’ heterogeneity regarding their work arrangements and gender role orientations as well as constraints in public childcare provision for toddlers might explain our findings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Beliefs About Maternal Labour Supply (2026)
Zitatform
Boneva, Teodora, Marta Golin, Katja Kaufmann & Christopher Rauh (2026): Beliefs About Maternal Labour Supply. In: The Economic Journal, Jg. 136, H. 674, S. 373-401. DOI:10.1093/ej/ueaf067
Abstract
"We provide representative evidence on the perceived returns to maternal labour supply. A mother’s decision to work is perceived to have sizable impacts on child skills, family outcomes, and the mother’s future labour market outcomes. Beliefs about the impact of additional household income can account for some, but not all, of the perceived positive effects. We further document labour supply intentions under different policy scenarios related to childcare availability and quality, two factors that are perceived as important. Finally, we show that perceived returns are predictive of labour supply intentions, over and above what can be explained by other factors." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Einleitung: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen einer geschlechtergerechten Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik (2026)
Zitatform
Bothfeld, Silke, Christian Hohendanner, Petra Schütt & Aysel Yollu-Tok (2026): Einleitung: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen einer geschlechtergerechten Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik. In: S. Bothfeld, C. Hohendanner, P. Schütt & A. Yollu-Tok (Hrsg.) (2026): Geschlechtergerecht gestalten. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik, S. 9-26.
Abstract
"Wer über Geschlechtergerechtigkeit spricht, kommt an der begrifflichen Unterscheidung zwischen Gleichberechtigung und Gleichstellungspolitik nicht vorbei. Diese Differenz ist grundlegend für das Verständnis politischer, sozialer und ökonomischer Maßnahmen zur Überwindung geschlechterbezogener Ungleichheiten. Gleichberechtigung meint die rechtlich garantierte Gleichheit von Frauen und Männern – wie sie etwa in Artikel 3 des Grundgesetzes verankert ist. Sie garantiert allen Menschen denselben Zugang zu Rechten: zum Bildungssystem, zum Arbeitsmarkt, zu politischen Ämtern. Doch so unverzichtbar diese rechtliche Grundlage ist, so unzureichend ist sie, wenn es um die tatsächliche Teilhabe in einer nach wie vor von struktureller Ungleichheit geprägten Gesellschaft geht. Hier setzt die Gleichstellungspolitik an: Sie begnügt sich nicht mit der formalen Gleichheit, sondern zielt auf faktische Chancengleichheit. Für die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter wurde daher im Artikel 3 Abs. 2 (»Männer und Frauen sind gleichberechtigt.«) 1994 der Zusatz aufgenommen »Der Staat fördert die tatsächliche Durchsetzung der Gleichberechtigung von Frauen und Männern und wirkt auf die Beseitigung bestehender Nachteile hin«. Die Gleichstellungspolitik soll in diesem Sinne bestehende Benachteiligungen – etwa beim Einkommen, bei der Verteilung von Sorgearbeit, beim Zugang zu Führungspositionen oder in den sozialen Sicherungssystemen – sichtbar machen und Instrumente entwickeln, um Ungleichheiten abzubauen. Gleichstellungspolitik bedeutet nicht Privilegierung oder Sonderbehandlung, sondern sie ist Ausdruck eines demokratischen Gestaltungsauftrags: Sie soll sicherstellen, dass Gleichberechtigung nicht nur auf dem Papier steht, sondern im gesellschaftlichen Alltag wirksam wird. Dieser Sammelband greift zentrale Fragen dieser Gestaltungsaufgabe im Rahmen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik auf und versammelt Beiträge, die sich mit geschlechterbezogenen Ungleichheiten am Arbeitsmarkt und im Sozialstaat befassen – empirisch fundiert, theoretisch reflektiert und mit einem gemeinsamen Ziel: Geschlechtergerechtigkeit nicht nur zu fordern, sondern Hinweise und Vorschläge für die Gestaltung von konkreten Strukturen und politischen Maßnahmen zu präsentieren." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Geschlechtergerecht gestalten: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik (2026)
Zitatform
Bothfeld, Silke, Christian Hohendanner, Petra Schütt & Aysel Yollu-Tok (Hrsg.) (2026): Geschlechtergerecht gestalten. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik. Frankfurt: Campus Verlag, 471 S. DOI:10.12907/978-3-593-45932-5
Abstract
"Trotz zahlreicher Bemühungen und Erfolge in der Gleichstellungspolitik seit Ende der 1990er Jahre bestehen in der Praxis nach wie vor erhebliche geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede auf dem Arbeitsmarkt. Frauen haben nach wie vor geringere Erfolgsaussichten beim Zugang und beim Verbleib in Beschäftigung, ihre Bezahlung und ihre Aufstiegsmöglichkeiten sind schlechter. Die Beiträge dieses Bandes bieten einen umfassenden Überblick über die aktuelle geschlechtsbezogene Arbeits(marktpolitik-)forschung. Mit einem multiperspektivischen Blick auf den vergeschlechtlichten Arbeitsmarkt gelingt es dem Band, historische Aspekte, Gegenwartsanalysen sowie gesellschaftliche Transformationsprozesse und Lösungsansätze zu verbinden." (Verlagsangaben, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
The origins of the gender pay gap: Education and job characteristics (2026)
Zitatform
Bovini, Giulia, Marta De Philippis & Lucia Rizzica (2026): The origins of the gender pay gap: Education and job characteristics. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 102. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2026.102896
Abstract
"This paper analyses the role that field of study choices and firm and job characteristics play in explaining gender pay gaps among university graduates at the beginning of their careers. We exploit a unique administrative population-wide dataset for Italy. We find that choices of university majors alone explain about half of the early-career gender pay gap, since women tend to graduate in fields that give access to lower-paying firms and jobs. Sorting across firms and jobs conditional on premarket specialization only accounts for 20% of the gap, indicating that its role is largely mediated by field choices made while still in education." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
A method for the gender disaggregation of Okun's law (2026)
Zitatform
Boďa, Martin & Michaela Tichá (2026): A method for the gender disaggregation of Okun's law. In: International economics and economic policy, Jg. 23, H. 2. DOI:10.1007/s10368-026-00714-x
Abstract
"For the case of a slowly time-varying Okun’s law, the paper proposes a method to identify male and female Okun coefficients based upon the trajectory of the economy-wide Okun coefficient. The method rests upon a disaggregation principle that requires that gender-specific Okun coefficients be in “accounting” agreement with economy-wide Okun coefficients, which is not recognized in conventional applications. Albeit equally applicable also for the difference version of Okun’s law, the method is demonstrated with the more general gap version for the Group of Seven (G7) economies over a period 1991–2022. The demonstration reveals that the conventional approach often leads to implausible trajectories of Okun coefficients and that the unemployment-output nexus for the past three decades did not have constant features. Furthermore, male unemployment need not be universally more exposed to the business cycle, but gender sensitivity may alternate over time with a little difference between males and females." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Fathers Combining Work and Care: Flexible Work Arrangements and Paternal Involvement Across Financial Situations (2026)
Zitatform
Brega, Carla, Mara A. Yerkes & Marc Grau-Grau (2026): Fathers Combining Work and Care: Flexible Work Arrangements and Paternal Involvement Across Financial Situations. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 40, H. 2, S. 225-249. DOI:10.1177/09500170251386322
Abstract
"Flexible work arrangements significantly impact childcare divisions among dual-earner parents, yet few studies address their impact on fathers as primary caregivers. This article explores the relationship between fathers’ ability to work flexibly and their share of childcare responsibility across financial situations. A capabilities perspective is applied to better understand why fathers’ childcare aspirations may not align with what they are capable of in practice. Using 2021 survey data on fathers (n = 493) and mothers (n = 472) of young children in different-sex partnerships from four European countries, multinomial logistic regressions are estimated to predict childcare responsibility. Findings suggest fathers’ spatial flexibility (working from home) increases their likelihood of being the person primarily responsible for childcare, whereas temporal flexibility (varying the start/end times of the working day) does not. Economic conditions influence these dynamics, with financially strained fathers benefiting most from spatial flexibility." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Flexible Work Arrangements and Occupational Class: Fathers Navigating Childcare Responsibilities (2026)
Zitatform
Brega, Carla (2026): Flexible Work Arrangements and Occupational Class: Fathers Navigating Childcare Responsibilities. In: Gender, work & organization, Jg. 33, H. 3, S. 1053-1064. DOI:10.1111/gwao.70111
Abstract
"When using flexible work arrangements for caregiving, fathers risk deviating from both social expectations of breadwinning and ideal worker standards, yet implications of this divergence across different occupational classes remain unclear. Using 40 semi-structured interviews with fathers from the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and the UK, this study explores and compares the negotiated use of flexible working arrangements (FWAs) for care among managerial-professional fathers and fathers in routine white-collar and blue-collar occupations. Employing abductive analysis within a constructivist grounded theory framework, the article delves into how fathers from different work-related backgrounds navigate the tension between their paid work (in)flexibility and their childcare involvement. Results show evidence of occupational-class differences in two key areas: Varying degrees of access to and use of FWAs for care; and navigating work and family dedication, including how fathers deal with competing commitments and what using flexibility implies for the tension between expectations of being both involved fathers and dedicated workers. At a higher level of abstraction, these contribute to theorization of a class-based double bind of fatherhood and flexibility, providing a much-needed view of how working fathers navigate the complexities of (gendered) organizational structures. Finally, implications are discussed, including organizational support addressing occupational-class barriers to FWAs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Early Childhood Education and Care and mother's labor supply: The role of publication and weak causal design biases (2026)
Zitatform
Brugarolas, Pablo (2026): Early Childhood Education and Care and mother's labor supply: The role of publication and weak causal design biases. In: Review of Economics of the Household, S. 1-37. DOI:10.1007/s11150-026-09847-z
Abstract
"This paper conducts a meta-analysis of causal studies examining the impact of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programs on maternal employment in developed countries. Using 981 effect-size estimates from 35 studies, I harmonize employment outcomes into percentage-point changes and assemble 70 study-level characteristics describing program design, subgroups, contexts, and empirical strategies. I apply a battery of linear and non-linear publication-bias tests and use model-averaging methods to account jointly for publication bias and what I term weak design bias, defined by whether studies satisfy core identification diagnostics for RDD, IV, RCT, and DiD designs. Publication bias is modest but non-negligible: correcting only for selective reporting reduces the descriptive mean effect of around 5 percentage points (p.p.) to roughly 1 p.p., yielding insignificant implied intention-to-treat (ITT) effects and average treatment-on-the-treated (ATT) effects of about 4 p.p. Once I also reweight the literature toward designs that meet identification checks, the implied ITT effect rises to about 8 p.p., and the implied ATT effect stabilizes around 10 p.p. The corrected ATT effects are particularly pronounced for child care programs, delivered by public providers, and implemented in high-employment settings. Overall, the results suggest that modern ECEC expansions generate sizeable employment gains for already attached mothers facing binding care constraints. They also provide bias-corrected benchmarks for evaluating ECEC reforms and their contribution to mitigating child penalties and gender gaps in labour-market outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Transparency upon request: the right to pay information and the gender pay gap (2026)
Brütt, Katharina; Yuan, Huaiping;Zitatform
Brütt, Katharina & Huaiping Yuan (2026): Transparency upon request: the right to pay information and the gender pay gap. In: Economica, S. 1-37. DOI:10.1111/ecca.70051
Abstract
"Pay transparency measures are widely adopted policy instruments to decrease the gender pay gap. This paper studies a policy that grants access to wage information only upon request, analysing a German pay transparency law that grants workers the right to request information about the earnings of colleagues in comparable positions. Using large-scale administrative data and exploiting variation in exposure to the policy due to an exogenous cut-off in firm size, we investigate the causal impact of this pay transparency policy. Wages and the gender wage gap in treated firms were unaffected. The right to request wage information alone, that is, the endogenous access to wage information, is not an effective policy tool. These findings are robust, with no detectable effects in firms where pay transparency may be particularly powerful." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Exploring midlife identity negotiations in the context of the gender career gap: an interdisciplinary conceptual framework (2026)
Zitatform
Burke, Vanessa, Ho Kwan Cheung & Lisa M. Finkelstein (2026): Exploring midlife identity negotiations in the context of the gender career gap: an interdisciplinary conceptual framework. In: Work, Aging and Retirement, Jg. 12, H. 3, S. 272-292. DOI:10.1093/workar/waae023
Abstract
"The gender gaps in career outcomes (e.g., pay, promotion, leadership opportunities) observably widen during mid-career, yet research often neglects considerations of gendered age identities in explaining this disparity. The present paper addresses this through an integrative review of interdisciplinary literature and proposes a novel theoretical framework that combines midlife development and gender identity negotiations to better understand mid-career disparities. In this review, we (1) adopt an inter-categorical approach to explore how workers navigate the overlapping systems of gender and age in the workplace, (2) critically review midlife development literature, highlighting significant oversights in organizational research, and (3) we introduce a process model of midlife gendered identity negotiations. We detail the model, describing the antecedents, mechanisms, and outcomes of gendered aging identity negotiations on mid-career inequities. We provide a foundation for advancing research and designing interventions to address gender disparities in mid-career outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Die Wechseljahre der Frau – ein blinder Fleck in der Arbeitswelt (2026)
Zitatform
Burkert, Carola, Dana Müller, Hannah Sinja Steinberg & Marieke Volkert (2026): Die Wechseljahre der Frau – ein blinder Fleck in der Arbeitswelt. In: IAB-Forum H. 24.06.2026. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20260624.01
Abstract
"Das IAB hat neue und umfassende Daten zu den Wechseljahren der Frau erhoben. Demnach leiden fast zwei Drittel der Frauen zwischen 40 und 55 Jahren, die sich nach eigener Auskunft in den Wechseljahren befinden, an sechs oder mehr typischen Beschwerden. Dies trifft aber auch auf fast die Hälfte der Frauen zu, die sich (noch) nicht in den Wechseljahren vermuten. Eine hohe Anzahl an Beschwerden geht zudem mit einer deutlich niedrigeren Arbeitsmarktbeteiligung einher." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
Beteiligte aus dem IAB
Burkert, Carola ; Müller, Dana ; Volkert, Marieke ; Steinberg, Hannah Sinja ; -
Literaturhinweis
Gender Pay Gap and Cultural Values (2026)
Zitatform
Burns, Natasha, Kristina Minnick, Jeffry Netter & Laura Starks (2026): Gender Pay Gap and Cultural Values. In: Journal of financial and quantitative analysis, Jg. 61, H. 1, S. 511-546. DOI:10.1017/s0022109025000183
Abstract
"Employing a cross-country sample, we examine how a population’s underlying cultural values help explain gender compensation variation across corporate executives. The results show that the cultural differences embedded in societies long before the board’s compensation decisions have significant explanatory power for the observed gender gap in executive compensation. Using an Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition combined with variables previously shown to be fundamental determinants of executive compensation, we find that adding cultural measures increases the model’s explanatory power of the gender compensation gap from 44% to 95%. We use further identification strategies to support causal inference." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Too Competitive to Care? The Overall Explanatory Power of Personality for Occupational Gender Segregation (2026)
Zitatform
Buser, Thomas (2026): Too Competitive to Care? The Overall Explanatory Power of Personality for Occupational Gender Segregation. (IZA discussion paper / IZA Network @ LISER 18721), Bonn: IZA Network @ LISER, 35 S.
Abstract
"A large literature in behavioral and labor economics documents gender differences in personality traits and preferences, as well as their explanatory power for gender gaps in occupational choice and career success. These studies usually focus on a single trait or personality classification, such as competitiveness, risk preferences, or the Big Five personality inventory. In this paper, I instead ask how much of gender differences in occupational sorting can be statistically explained by a comprehensive range of trait and preference measures jointly. I combine detailed personality and preference indicators elicited in a representative Dutch survey panel and link them to career outcomes for which large gender gaps are observed: the underrepresentation of women in management and math-intensive occupations, and the underrepresentation of men in teaching and caring occupations and the public sector. Correcting for measurement error, differences in preferences and personality can statistically explain a large part - typically half or more - of gender differences in occupational sorting. Traits with a "dark" side - such as willingness to playdirty, externalizing behavior or psychopathy - capture a surprisingly large share of these gaps." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Persistente Ungleichheiten: Geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede in der bezahlten Arbeit (2026)
Zitatform
Bächmann, Ann-Christin & Anja-Kristin Abendroth-Sohl (2026): Persistente Ungleichheiten: Geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede in der bezahlten Arbeit. In: Forschung und Lehre H. 6, S. 26-28.
Abstract
"Im EU-Vergleich gehört Deutschland zu den Ländern mit dem höchsten Verdienstabstand pro Stunde zwischen Frauen und Männern. Welche Faktoren lassen sich bestimmen, um den Gender Pay Gap zu erklären, und welche Maßnahmen lassen sich daraus ableiten, um Ungleichheiten zu begegnen?" (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Berufliche Geschlechtersegregation in Deutschland: Entwicklungen, Erklärungen, regionale und qualifikatorische Unterschiede (2026)
Zitatform
Bächmann, Ann-Christin, Michaela Fuchs, Volker Kotte & Brigitte Schels (2026): Berufliche Geschlechtersegregation in Deutschland: Entwicklungen, Erklärungen, regionale und qualifikatorische Unterschiede. In: S. Bothfeld, C. Hohendanner, P. Schütt & A. Yollu-Tok (Hrsg.) (2026): Geschlechtergerecht gestalten. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik, S. 175-190, 2025-02-10.
Abstract
"Die berufliche Geschlechtersegregation erweist sich als zentrales und persistentes Charakteristikum des deutschen Arbeitsmarktes. Geschlecht fungiert als soziale Ordnungsstruktur im Prozess der Berufswahl und des Matching von Personen zu Stellen (Buchmann/Kriesi 2012). Wirtschaftliche und gesamtgesellschaftliche Entwicklungen der letzten Jahrzehnte konnten zwar zu einer leichten Reduzierung der Segregation beitragen, die berufliche Trennung von Männern und Frauen aber bei weitem nicht auflösen. Sie variiert zudem stark zwischen Regionen und Qualifikationsniveaus. Der Überwindung der beruflichen Geschlechtersegregation wird eine Schlüsselrolle für die Bewältigung der Herausforderungen im Wandel der Arbeitswelt zugeschrieben (Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften/Union der deutschen Akademien der Wissenschaften 2024). Gerade vor dem Hintergrund steigender Fachkräftebedarfe müssen politische Handlungsmöglichkeiten zur Reduzierung beruflicher Geschlechtersegregation stärker ausgeschöpft werden. Gesellschaftlich wäre dieses Ziel zudem erstrebenswert, um jungen Menschen eine »freie Berufswahl« nach Talenten und Interessen zu ermöglichen, die nicht von Geschlechterstereotypen beschränkt wird. Politische Stellschrauben zu identifizieren, gestaltet sich vor dem komplexen Zusammenspiel unterschiedlicher Faktoren, wie Geschlechterstereotypen, Rollenvorstellungen, Interessen und Präferenzen, die in Angebot und Nachfrage hineinwirken, als herausfordernd. Bisherige Initiativen wie etwa der girls’ day oder boys’ day zeigen wenig Wirkung, was mitunter auch daran liegen mag, dass sie relativ spät in der Jugend ansetzen, wenn Vorstellungen zur Geschlechtstypik von Berufen schon geprägt wurden (siehe auch Jeanrenaud in diesem Band). Empirisch zeigt sich, dass bspw. Rollenvorbilder einen Beitrag leisten können, um Segregationsmuster zu durchbrechen (Beckmann u.a. 2023). Zudem könnte mehr Durchlässigkeit im Bildungssystem, etwa zwischen beruflicher und hochschulischer Bildung, Möglichkeiten eröffnen, frühe geschlechtstypische Entscheidungen zu revidieren (Imdorf u.a. 2016). Auch die Adaption der Arbeitsbedingungen und -organisation in segregierten Berufsfeldern kann ein Ansatzpunkt sein, bspw. könnte eine bessere Bezahlung in Pflegeberufen diesen Bereich auch für junge Männer attraktiver machen. Mit Blick in die Zukunft ist abzuwarten, wie sich die zentralen Arbeitsmarktentwicklungen der kommenden Jahre auf die berufliche Trennung von Männern und Frauen auswirken. Neben dem Fachkräftemangel könnten gerade die zunehmende Digitalisierung von Arbeitsprozessen und Tätigkeiten sowie die Entwicklung neuer Berufe in der sogenannten »neuen Arbeitswelt« zusätzliche Dynamik in die berufliche Trennung der Geschlechter bringen. Erste Erkenntnisse verweisen jedoch darauf, dass diese Entwicklungen bekannte Geschlechterunterschiede eher reproduzieren als verringern (z.B. Genz/Schnabel 2023; Petroff/Fierro 2023). Zentral wird es sein, auch in Zukunft die Entwicklung der beruflichen Geschlechtersegregation und ihre Ursachen und Auswirkungen empirisch zu untersuchen und die Ergebnisse im gesamtgesellschaftlichen Diskurs zu berücksichtigen." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Lohnunterschiede von Frauen und Männern in Österreich von 2011 bis 2024 (2026)
Zitatform
Böheim, René, Marian Fink & Christine Zulehner (2026): Lohnunterschiede von Frauen und Männern in Österreich von 2011 bis 2024. (WIFO Research Briefs 2026,01), Wien, 11 S.
Abstract
"Diese Analyse basiert auf Mikrozensusdaten und untersucht die Entwicklung der geschlechtsspezifischen Lohnunterschiede von unselbständig Beschäftigten in Österreich. Es zeigt sich ein deutlicher Rückgang des unbereinigten Unterschieds im durchschnittlichen Bruttostundenlohn der 20- bis 59-Jährigen von 19,6% im Jahr 2011 auf 12,6% im Jahr 2024. Der bereinigte Lohnunterschied, der für Unterschiede in der Bildung und der Berufserfahrung sowie bei horizontaler und vertikaler Segregation kontrolliert, sank zwischen 2011 und 2012 und blieb anschließend von 2012 bis 2024 mit rund 6,4% weitgehend stabil. Eine detaillierte Untersuchung legt nahe, dass der Rückgang sowohl des erklärten als auch des unerklärten Lohnunterschieds überwiegend mit einer Angleichung der Merkmale zusammenhängt. Der Rückgang des unbereinigten wie auch des bereinigten Lohnunterschieds ist dabei vor allem in der Altersgruppe der 20- bis 39-Jährigen ausgeprägt, bei den ab 40-Jährigen zeigt sich ein deutlich schwächerer Rückgang." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Parenthood and the Career Ladder: Evidence from Academia (2026)
Zitatform
Cairo, Sofie, Ria Ivandić, Anne Sophie Lassen & Valentina Tartari (2026): Parenthood and the Career Ladder: Evidence from Academia. (Discussion paper / Berlin School of Economics 0092), Berlin, 35 S., App. DOI:10.48462/opus4-6164
Abstract
"Persistent gender gaps in the labor market are largely driven by the underrepresentation of women at the top of most professions. We study how parenthood shapes gender gaps in academic careers using population-wide administrative and survey data linked to productivity and promotion records. Parenthood marks a sharp divergence in academic careers: one in three women exit academia following motherhood. Men also experience a decline in academic employment after fatherhood, but the effects are substantially smaller. For mothers, childbirth leads to a persistent decline in both tenure attainment and research output, while men's trajectories on these margins are unaffected by parenthood. The child penalty on tenure is driven primarily by women's higher exit rates from academia. Gender differences in career aspirations do not explain these findings; instead, childcare and mobility constraints play a central role. Child penalties are exacerbated in highly competitive environments and environments without senior female role models." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Flexible Work Schedules and Labor Market Exits: A Longitudinal Analysis of Gender and Parenthood Differences in Germany (2026)
Zitatform
Cao, Xinyan & Senhu Wang (2026): Flexible Work Schedules and Labor Market Exits: A Longitudinal Analysis of Gender and Parenthood Differences in Germany. In: The sociological quarterly, Jg. 67, H. 3, S. 582-605. DOI:10.1080/00380253.2026.2655156
Abstract
"Flexible working is advocated to reduce gender inequalities in labor market exit risks by supporting work-life balance. However, research is limited on how employer-set and employee-set flexible working arrangements are associated with labor market exits and how the associations vary by gender and parenthood, since women, especially mothers, have less access to employee-set flexibility and are at heightened risk of leaving the labor market. To help address this gap, this study uses German Socio-Economic Panel data (2003–2021) and discrete-time event history models. Findings show that employer-set flexibility does not reduce labor market exit risks, and for fathers, it correlates with higher exit risks compared to fixed schedules. Conversely, employee-set flexibility correlates with a lower risk of labor market exit for all, but its protective effect is stronger for fathers (vs. childless men) and less effective for mothers. Mothers, particularly with young children under 10, still face higher exit risks even with employee-set flexibility. Overall, while autonomy over work schedules supports labor market participation, it alone cannot fully address the \u201cmotherhood penalty,\u201d likely due to blurred work-family boundaries, work cultures, and gender norms. Policy interventions should support father’s childcare involvement, challenge discrimination in worker evaluations, and address long-work-hour cultures in flexible work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Does Tax Transparency Influence Wage Setting?. Evidence on Gender Gaps (2026)
Carvalho, Cristiano C.; Vattø, Trine E.;Zitatform
Carvalho, Cristiano C. & Trine E. Vattø (2026): Does Tax Transparency Influence Wage Setting?. Evidence on Gender Gaps. (Discussion papers / Statistics Norway, Research Department 1033), Oslo, 49 S.
Abstract
"This paper examines how an often-overlooked source of pay transparency—the public disclosure of tax information—affects gender wage gaps. We exploit a 2001 change in Norway that made individual tax returns searchable online. Using matched employer–employee data and a difference in-differences design, we find that within-firm gender wage gaps fell by 2.2 percentage points (8.7 percent), driven by rising female wages. Effects are strongest in private-sector firms, industries with initially larger gaps, and municipalities that previously lacked easy access to printed tax lists. Wage gains are concentrated among job-changing women, suggesting that broad-based transparency mainly operates through improved information for job search." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Determining Gender Differences in Education and Labor Market Outcomes (2026)
Zitatform
Cervantes, Carla Varona & Russell Cooper (2026): Determining Gender Differences in Education and Labor Market Outcomes. In: The Economic Journal. DOI:10.1093/ej/ueag095
Abstract
"This paper studies gender differences in educational attainment and labor market outcomes. Across 21 OECD countries, though men are paid more than women, the college attainment rates and college premia are (mostly) higher for women. This paper explains these patterns through the quantitative analysis of a dynamic choice model of education and labor market outcomes. Using the estimated model, we decompose the observed gender gaps through a series of counterfactual exercises. One finding is that these gaps are driven mainly by gender differences in the average compensation at non-college jobs. The estimated lower compensation for non-college women generates for them larger college premia and higher incentives to attend college relative to men. A second finding, through the lens of the estimated model, is that observed gender wage gaps for college workers are largely driven by differences in the gender specific distributions across signals of ability rather than wage differences across genders given a signal." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Economic Incentives or Social Norms? Labor Supply Differentials Between East and West German Mothers (2026)
Zitatform
Chabé-Ferret, Bastien, Zainab Iftikhar & JungJae Park (2026): Economic Incentives or Social Norms? Labor Supply Differentials Between East and West German Mothers. (IZA discussion paper / IZA Network @ LISER 18600), Bonn: IZA Network @ LISER, 42 S.
Abstract
"This paper quantifies the contributions of social norms and economic incentives to the 350-hour annual gap in maternal labor supply between East and West Germany. Using a collective model of family formation and labor supply estimated on GSOEP data from 2000–2017, we find that the working-motherstigma accounts for 73 percent of the gap. Economic factors partially offset the norm: higher Western wages raise the opportunity cost of staying home, so equalizing wages in West to the levels in East would nearly double the gap. We show that standard policy reforms may actually widen the regional disparity, and that their effectiveness is conditional on the norm being present: once removed, the same policies have negligible effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Exports, Gender Inequality, and Family Commitment (2026)
Zitatform
Chalermsook, Porjai, Pekka Ilmakunnas & Rudiger von Arnim (2026): Exports, Gender Inequality, and Family Commitment. In: Labour, Jg. 40, H. 1, S. 74-100. DOI:10.1111/labr.70007
Abstract
"This paper examines how exporting firms, gender, and family commitments interact to shape wage disparities. Using Finnish matched employer–employee data, we estimate wage equations that control for firm, worker, and match-specific unobservables. While exporting firms do not exhibit a wider gender wage gap overall, women with young children face additional short-run wage penalties, as shown by an event-study analysis that reveals a temporary but pronounced gap in the early post-childbirth years. These penalties are concentrated in occupations with greater temporal rigidity and limited scheduling flexibility, highlighting workplace flexibility constraints as a key mechanism. The findings suggest that the interaction between export-related temporal demands and caregiving responsibilities contributes to gendered wage dynamics. These results also raise questions about the continuing relevance of gender norms that disadvantage female employees, even in a context with strong public support for parental leave and childcare in Finland." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Experiments on Gender and Competition in the Field: A Review (2026)
Zitatform
Chowdhury, Subhasish M. & Noemi Peter (2026): Experiments on Gender and Competition in the Field: A Review. (Sheffield economic research paper series / The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics 2026005), Sheffield, 33 S.
Abstract
"This review synthesizes evidence from field and lab-in-the-field experiments on gender and competition (including artefactual, framed, and natural field experiments). We first document how the gender gap in willingness to compete varies with cultural, demographic, and task-related factors, highlighting substantial heterogeneity across societies, age groups, and forms of competition. We then review evidence linking competitiveness to educational and labor market outcomes and find that experimental measures of competitiveness are significant predictors of study and career choices and that competitive incentives have causal effects on job entry behavior. Next, we examine a set of interventions, such as information provision, role models, training and mentoring, institutional design, and affirmative action policies that aim to mitigate gender gaps in field settings. Overall, the literature suggests that social and institutional environments can both generate and mitigate gender differences in willingness to compete. We conclude by highlighting avenues for future research." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Die Rolle von Firmen für Geschlechterungleichheit (2026)
Zitatform
Collischon, Matthias & Florian Zimmermann (2026): Die Rolle von Firmen für Geschlechterungleichheit. In: S. Bothfeld, C. Hohendanner, P. Schütt & A. Yollu-Tok (Hrsg.) (2026): Geschlechtergerecht gestalten. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik, S. 253-267, 2025-10-05.
Abstract
"Dieser Beitrag untersuchte zwei Mechanismen, durch die Firmen zur Geschlechterungleichheit beitragen können. Erstens könnten Frauen seltener in Hochlohnfirmen arbeiten und zweitens könnten Frauen in derselben Firma geringere Löhne gezahlt werden. Im Hinblick auf die Arbeit in unterschiedlichen Firmen zeigt sich, dass Frauen seltener in Firmen arbeiten, die im Durchschnitt ein höheres Gehalt zahlen. Die Forschung deutet darauf hin, dass diese Segregation – also die Aufteilung von Frauen in Niedriglohnfirmen und Männern in Hochlohnfirmen – einerseits von Arbeitgeberseite bedingt ist, beispielsweise durch Diskriminierung oder durch soziale Schließung. Andererseits können Frauen sich aber auch gezielt bei Firmen bewerben, die geringere Löhne durch andere Vorteile kompensieren, wie beispielsweise seltenere Überstunden (vgl. Cha/Weeden 2014). Insgesamt können Unterschiede zwischen den Firmen, in denen Männer und Frauen arbeiten, rund ein Drittel der bereinigten Geschlechterlohnlücke erklären. Diese immer noch große, verbleibende Lohnlücke zeigt jedoch, dass es auch innerhalb von Betrieben noch Faktoren geben muss, die zu Geschlechterlohnlücken beitragen. Deshalb betrachteten wir im zweiten Schritt Lohnungleichheiten in Firmen und die Bedeutung des organisationalen Kontexts. Hierzu suchten wir gleichstellungsorientierte organisationale Maßnahmen, den Anteil von Managerinnen in Firmen und die Rolle von Tarifverträgen. Hier zeigt die Forschung, dass es jeweils Zusammenhänge mit Geschlechterlohnlücken gibt, diese jedoch nicht immer einfachen Mustern folgen. Beispielsweise könnten eine Erhöhung des Frauenanteils im Management und die Einführung betrieblicher nahmen die Geschlechterlohnlücke verringern. Für Tarifverträge hingegen ist das Bild uneindeutig. Die Forschung zeigt zwar, dass Lohnlücken in Betrieben, in denen Tarifverträge gelten, kleiner sind, jedoch verringert die Einführung eines Tarifvertrags die Lohnlücke nicht nachweislich. Insgesamt zeigt sich also, dass sowohl Segregation in verschiedene Firmen als auch der organisationale Kontext in Firmen einen substanziellen Teil der Geschlechterlohnlücke erklären kann, jedoch bleibt trotzdem ein unerklärter Rest übrig. Beispielsweise würde selbst bei Erhöhung des Frauenanteils im Management auf Parität, also 50 Prozent, immer noch eine Geschlechterlohnlücke verbleiben (Zimmermann, 2022). Zusammengefasst kann der Blick auf die Ebene von Firmen somit viel zum Verständnis der Geschlechterlohnlücke beitragen, aber sie sind nur Teil eines größeren Puzzles. Dies unterstreicht, wie vielschichtig das Problem der Geschlechterungleichheit ist und dass Maßnahmen auf vielen Ebenen - bei Individuen, in Betrieben, durch die Gesetzgebung - notwendig sind, um diese Lücken zu schließen. Weiterhin besteht auch auf der Firmenebene viel Forschungsbedarf. Während beispielsweise die Repräsentation von Frauen in verschiedenen Führungsebenen untersucht wurde, wissen wir wenig über die genauen Tätigkeiten einzelner Manager:innen, meist werden unterschiedliche Aufgabenbereiche zusammen gefasst. Somit könnte die Kategorisierung in Führungsebenen zu grob sein und eine Unterteilung nach genauen Tätigkeitsprofilen tiefere Einblicke in zugrundeliegende Mechanismen geben. Auf ähnliche Weise sind die untersuchten Maßnahmen in größere Kategorien zusammengefasst, die keine detaillierteren Aussagen erlauben. Schließlich ist auch noch unbekannt, ob die angebotenen Maßnahmen tatsächlich genutzt werden und ob deren Nutzung zur Verringerung der Lohnlücke beiträgt oder das Angebot alleine ausreicht." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Gender Norms and the Labor Market (2026)
Zitatform
Cortés, Patricia, Jisoo Hwang, Jessica Pan & Uta Schönberg (2026): Gender Norms and the Labor Market. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 34716), Cambridge, Mass, 42 S.
Abstract
"Despite substantial convergence in men's and women's economic roles, gender gaps in labor market outcomes persist across countries. This article provides a unified framework for understanding how gender norms shape economic behavior, distinguishing between internalized norms—preferences and beliefs tied to gender identity—and external norms arising from peer pressure and social coordination. We first document cross-country and within-country variation in gender attitudes, alongside gradual but uneven shifts toward more egalitarian views. We then review empirical evidence on the origins, persistence, and transmission of gender norms, and their effects on human capital accumulation, labor supply, wages, and policy take-up. The review highlights both the durability of gender norms and the mechanisms through which policies, institutions, and media can induce norm change, with implications for the design of effective interventions." (Author'sabstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
Beteiligte aus dem IAB
Schönberg, Uta; -
Literaturhinweis
Gender Norms and the Labor Market (2026)
Zitatform
Cortés, Patricia, Jisoo Hwang, Jessica Pan & Uta Schönberg (2026): Gender Norms and the Labor Market. (VoxEU columns / Centre for Economic Policy Research), London, 4 S.
Abstract
"As overt discrimination has receded and human capital gaps have narrowed, economists have increasingly turned to gender norms to explain why women continue to earn less than men, shoulder the bulk of unpaid care work, and suffer earnings penalties following childbirth. This column discusses how gender norms – both those people internalise and those enforced by peers – act as powerful constraints on women’s labour market outcomes. Understanding how these norms form, persist, and can change has major implications for the design of effective labour market policy. The challenge is not merely to alter private preferences, but to shift shared expectations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
Beteiligte aus dem IAB
Schönberg, Uta; -
Literaturhinweis
Warum ein schrumpfender Gender-Pay-Gap nicht immer eine gute Nachricht ist (2026)
Zitatform
Coskun, Sena, Ahmet Ali Taskin & Enzo Weber (2026): Warum ein schrumpfender Gender-Pay-Gap nicht immer eine gute Nachricht ist. In: IAB-Forum H. 22.06.2026. DOI:10.48720./IAB.FOO.20260622.01
Abstract
"Die Lohnlücke zwischen Männern und Frauen ging zwischen 2011 und 2023 in der Gesamtwirtschaft von 25 auf 15 Prozent zurück – im Finanzsektor jedoch nur von 30 auf 24 Prozent. Ein wesentlicher Erklärungsfaktor für diesen Rückstand ist ausgerechnet die hohe Profitabilität dieses Wirtschaftszweigs" (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Navigating Motherhood: Endogenous Penalties and Career Choice (2026)
Zitatform
Coskun, Sena, Husnu Dalgic & Yasemin Özdemir (2026): Navigating Motherhood: Endogenous Penalties and Career Choice. (IAB-Discussion Paper 02/2026), Nürnberg, 57 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.DP.2602
Abstract
"Wir dokumentieren, dass Frauen sich vor der Geburt ihres ersten Kindes strategisch in „familienfreundliche” Sektoren sortieren, die durch geringere Erfahrungswerte, aber niedrigere Einbußen pro Kind gekennzeichnet sind. Dieses antizipatorische Sortieren stellt ex-ante Kosten der Mutterschaft dar, die von herkömmlichen Maßen für die Child Penalty gänzlich übersehen werden. Wir entwickeln ein Modell heterogener Akteure für Berufswahl und Fertilität, um diese „Sorting Penalty” zu quantifizieren. Unser zentrales Ergebnis ist, dass der direkte Einkommensverlust durch berufliches Sortieren zwar gering ist, dieses Resultat jedoch die hohe Wirksamkeit der primären Instrumente offenbart, mit denen Frauen Mutterschaft bewältigen: die Qualität-Quantität (Q-Q) und Zeitverwendung (T-E) Trade-offs. Durch empirische Evidenz für beide Spielräume zeigen wir, dass Frauen keine passiven Subjekte von Child Penalties sind; sie sind aktive, strategische Akteurinnen, die diese feineren Abwägungen nutzen, um familiäre Ziele zu erreichen und gleichzeitig berufliche Kosten zu mildern. Unsere Ergebnisse unterstreichen: Da Fertilität und Benachteiligungen zutiefst endogen sind, werden politische Rahmenbedingungen, die diese Trade-offs ausschließen, die Fertilitätsreaktionen und Karrierekosten von Interventionen grundlegend falsch berechnen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
Aspekt auswählen:
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Männern
- Kinderbetreuung und Pflege
- Berufliche Geschlechtersegregation
- Berufsrückkehr – Wiedereinstieg in den Arbeitsmarkt
- Dual-Career-Couples
- Work-Life
- Geschlechtsspezifische Lohnunterschiede
- Familienpolitische Rahmenbedingungen
- Aktive/aktivierende Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- Arbeitslosigkeit und passive Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- geografischer Bezug