Woman on German Labor Market Cover Image

Kobiety na rynku pracy w Niemczech
Woman on German Labor Market

Author(s): Jarosław Koral
Subject(s): Sociology
Published by: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
Keywords: labor market;women's employment;unemployment;career progression;equal opportunities in the labor market;part time job;

Summary/Abstract: Unemployment is the most important social problem affecting hundreds of millions of people in the world. It is a threat to various groups with different social background and age, especially young people, women and those having the lowest education. It is a phenomenon as it pushes workers to the margins of society, causing progressive impoverishment, misery, increased stress as well, social and moral degradation. It deprives one of basic human rights, including the right to work, which is connected directly to the right to life. This often leads to the loss of meaning and purpose in life, existence is viewed as an disappointing and depressing. Job loss causes isolation; dissolution of friendly relations and exclusion from professional and social events. Unemployment also creates conflicts in family life, diverce and negatively affects relationships between family members. As numerous studies have shown unemployment results in increasing pathology of social life: alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution and crime, particularly in relation to young people. Working women are paid significalitly less, (often about 30% less) than men who work in the same positions. Researches show that, indeed, there are major differences in remunerations, mainly because women work in offices and administration, where wages are lower than in the production dominated by men. Despite a very good education and striving for continuous improvement of qualifications there are few women working on in high positions. Generally, it is clear that women have significant problems with achieving leadership positions and career advancement. The immediate cause of unemployment among women is maternity leave. Access to employment is often made difficult for women due to the stereotypes claiming that women should devote themselves primarily to family and conjugal life. An important factor that generates unemployment among women is the fact that there are relatively few women employers.

  • Issue Year: 62/2015
  • Issue No: 10
  • Page Range: 109-120
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Polish