Women are not engaged in economic activity to the same extent as men. The share of women in all persons in employment shows how often women are engaged in economic activity in comparison to their proportion of the population. The indicator does not contain any information on the type and extent of the activity performed.
In 2023 there were 46.9 women in 100 persons in employment. Compared with their share in the total population (50.9%), women were still underrepresented in economic life in Germany. The difference in the participation of men and women in working life is even clearer when looking only at employed persons in managerial occupations. In 2023, only one in three managers was a woman (see also "Women in managerial occupations").
Difference between women and men decreasing
The difference in participation in economic activity between women and men has decreased since the 1990s. In 2003 the share of women was 44.9% and increased to 46.9% in 2023. However, the increase has slowed since 2013.
| Subject of evidence | 2003 | 2013 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source: Labour Force Survey. | |||
| Total | 44.9 | 46.5 | 46.9 |
| Full-time/Part-time | |||
| Full-time | 34.0 | 33.9 | 34.3 |
| Part-time | 84.6 | 79.5 | 75.9 |
| Professional status | |||
| Self-employed with staff | 22.8 | 24.6 | 25.8 |
| Solo self-employed | 33.5 | 38.0 | 41.3 |
| Employee | 46.5 | 48.1 | 48.0 |
| Family workers | 77.0 | 69.0 | 62.0 |
Women aged 55 or over catching up most quickly
When comparing 2003 with 2023, women aged 55 to 64 years caught up most quickly. The proportion of women in employment in that age group rose a good 8 percentage points from 39.8% to 48.0% and achieved nearly the level of the total population. What is compared here is different birth cohorts: the women aged 55 to 64 years in 2023 with those aged 55 to 64 years in 2003.
Regarding younger women, fewer intense changes and increases are observed over time, because women of younger birth cohorts have for a long time been much more often employed than older cohorts. In terms of women aged under 25 years, the female share of all persons in employment even decreased compared with 2003.
This may be due to an increasing number of young women studying at universities which leads to a later start into working life.
Information on the Indicator
Description or definition
Percentage of employed women (aged 15 years and older) in all persons in employment (aged 15 years and older).
Source
Labour Force Survey.
Information for interpretation
The microcensus with the integrated European labour force survey has been redesigned in 2020. The list of questions and the concept of the sample survey were modified, and with the introduction of an online questionnaire, the form of data collection were also changed. The results from survey year 2020 onward are therefore comparable with those of previous years only to a limited extent.
Further methodological changes affecting the results were performed in 2005, 2011 and 2021. Consequently, the results for those years can be compared with the results for previous years to a limited extent only.
The extrapolation of microcensus data uses the population figures from the 2011 Census, which was conducted as at 9 May 2011. The results have been revised from 2010 onwards. With effect from the year 2016, the sample is based on the 2011 census data. This transition affects the comparability of the results with previous years.
For more information please refer to Methods: Quality Reports and Explanations (only in German).
Further information
Redesigned microcensus as of 2020