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Young woman in protective clothing stands at a workbench in a locksmith's shop and smiles confidently into the camera.

Women in the Working World

Only in a few European countries is the participation of women and men in working life as high as in Germany. Nevertheless, there are significant differences between genders in the German labour market, and, despite the progress achieved in the past, there is still by no means real equality of women and men in the working world.

How has the labour force participation of women developed, and what are its determinants? Does the concept that men work physically and women assume care work still apply? Why do women still earn less than men? What about gender diversity in the executive suite? And what role do start-ups by women play? The IAB addresses these and other questions on the topic of “Women in the working world” in its research.

On this special page, we have compiled IAB publications and projects on this topic for you. They also include a wealth of additional aspects such as employment decisions and education, childcare and care, or working hours and flexible working models. Moreover, we investigate the situation of women in basic benefits and the labour market integration of female refugees.

Activities