Deep Reed: The Part-Time Republic
Germany complains about a shortage of skilled workers, while at the same time many well-qualified mothers work part-time or not at all. A comparison with other countries shows that it can be done differently.
In Germany, women pay a high price for having children, including career setbacks, pension gaps, and financial dependence on their partners. Despite investing heavily in family policies, such as expanding childcare and introducing parental leave benefits, Germany's mothers work fewer hours than almost anywhere else in the OECD. The issue lies in a combination of government rules, corporate culture, and family division of labor.
Economists, including Katharina Wrohlich from the University of Potsdam and the German Institute for Economic Research, suggest that reforming the tax and transfer system, as well as expanding childcare, could help increase mothers' working hours and address Germany's shortage of skilled workers, with a proposed reform of the "Ehegattensplitting" tax system expected to create 49,000 additional full-time jobs.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
