Equal and yet not equal: The employment of women in German firms : Evaluation of the IAB Establishment Panel 2008

Abstract

"The integration of women in the German labour market has made progress during the last years. There are however still differences in the employment patterns of men and women. Using data from the IAB-establishment panel 2008, this paper analyses the employment patterns of men and women from the perspective of firms: Which establishments do employ women? And do establishments with a high share of female employees differ from establishments with a low share of female employees?<br> In view of the demographic developments, it is - even in times of economic downturn - important not to lose sight of the question how the need of skilled labour can be met in the long run. In view of the increased participation of women in the education and training system, it can be supposed that the recruitment of skilled female employees will gain in importance in the future.<br> Data from the IAB-establishment panel 2008 show that the employment patterns of men and women do not differ much between establishments with a high and a low share of female employees. Regardless of the share of female employees in a firm, part-time work for example is a women's domain and managerial positions are mainly held by men.<br> The employment patterns of men and women are mainly affected by the sector a firm is affiliated to, but less by the size of the establishment. Firms with a high percentage of women can be found more often in sectors in which occupations considered as 'typically female' dominate, whereas firms with a low share of women are affiliated to sectors in which male occupations are prevalent. The sector-specific segregation that can be observed at the establishment level is hence the result of the occupational segregation on individual level.<br> The rising demand for skilled employees has led to increasing difficulties in filling vacancies, especially those requiring a university degree. On the other hand, the rising supply of skilled women on the labour market has led to an increasing number of recruitments of qualified female workers. Mainly highly skilled women have had good opportunities on the labour market. The gender-specific recruitment behaviour of firms strengthens the prevalent gender structures within the establishments." (Authors' abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Fischer, G., Dahms, V., Bechmann, S., Frei, M. & Leber, U. (2009): Gleich und doch nicht gleich: Frauenbeschäftigung in deutschen Betrieben. Auswertungen des IAB-Betriebspanels 2008. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 04/2009), Nürnberg, 72 p.