Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

WOMEN

German women still earn less than men

German woman continue to earn less than their male counterparts and, although the pay gap widens with age, the disparity is less acute in the states of the former East Germany.

Published: 26 August 2008 17:51 CEST

German women still earn less than men

Photo: obs/doctima GmbH

In 2006, German women earned an average of €14.05 per hour compared with a gross hourly wage of €18.38 for male workers, equivalent to a 24 percent pay gap, according to a study released Tuesday by the Federal Statistical Office.

The difference in pay shrinks to just 4 percent for workers 24 years old and younger and widens to 10 percent for those between 25 and 29. Female workers in their late thirties earn an average of 22 percent less than men, which the government office attributed to breaks for childbearing.

“In 2006, women were an average of 30 years old during the birth of their first child,” the Federal Statistical Office said.

The gap is most pronounced just years before retirement – women 60 years and older bring in 31 percetn less than men, according to the office.

While the mining industry has the smallest pay disparity at just 5 percent, the business services industry has the most egregious gap of 30 percent. The insurance and credit industry is a close second, paying women 29 percent less than men.

Women employed at news outlets earn 9 percent less than men while female teachers pull down 16 percent less than male teachers.

The inequality is less pronounced in the states of the former East Germany. Women there earn an average of just 6 percent less than men, but the average gap rises to 25 percent in the former West Germany.

“One cause is the significantly higher pay for men in [the former West Germany] compared to [the former East]. The gross hourly wage for men in [the former West] was 49 percent above the men in” eastern Germany, the office said.

Female workers in the former communist nation earn 19 percent less than their western countrywomen.

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

Url copied to clipboard!