This article investigates whether the increase in the labour force participation of mothers in western Germany has been accompanied by growing social inequalities in maternal employment. The focus is on education-related differences in full-time, part-time and marginal employment, and, in particular, changes therein over time. It is assumed that worsening labour market opportunities for the less educated and a ‘familialistic’ social policy context have resulted in growing differentials in mothers’ employment by education. Data from the scientific use files of the German micro-censuses for the years 1976 to 2004 show that the part-time and marginal employment rates of mothers have increased, while full-time employment rates have declined. Reductions in full-time employment are most pronounced among less educated mothers, resulting in growing educational differences in the employment of mothers.
Konietzka D., Kreyenfeld M.-Women's Employment and Non-Marital Childbearing: A Comparison between East and West Germany in the 1990s In contrast to West Germany, where marriage and childbirth have been strongly coupled, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) displayed high rates of non-marital childbearing. Researchers attributed this pattern to "misguided" GDR family policies that encouraged women to remain unmarried after childbirth. With German unification, East Germany's legal and political institutions -including family policies -were replaced by those of West Germany. Against this background, it was widely expected that east German non-marital birth rates would soon fall to west German levels. After unification, however, they increased even further. This article argues that the enormous east-west differences in non-marital childbearing in the 1990s can be attributed to differences in women's work orientation. Despite unfavourable labour market constraints and social policies that encourage women's withdrawal from the labour force after childbirth, east German women, compared with their west German counterparts, are still more likely to be in full-time employment, and to re-enter the labour force sooner after childbirth. Our empirical investigation, drawing on data from the German 1997 micro-census, reveals a strong effect of women's education and employment on marriage in west Germany, whereas in east Germany the probability of living in a marital union is hardly correlated at all with women's employment characteristics. We conclude that a generally strong female work orientation and the wide availability of public day care facilities are the most important factors weakening the economic incentives for east German women to get married at childbirth.Resumen Konietzka D., Kreyenfeld M.-Trabajo femenino y fecundidad fuera del matrimonio en Alemania durante los aňos noventa: un estudio comparativo del Este y el Oeste Antes de la reunificación, matrimonio y procreación estaban estrechamente ligadas en Alemania Occidental (RFA). En Alemania del Este (RDA), una proporción elevada de nacimien-tos tenia lugar fuera del matrimonio. Este fenómeno se ha atribuido a los "efectos perversos" de las políticas familiares de la RDA, que incentivaban a las madrés solteras a no casarse. Después de la reunificación, las instituciones políticas y jurídicas de la RDA -incluidas las políticas familiares -fueron remplazadas por las de la RFA. En consecuencia, se esperaba que el numero de nacimientos fuera del matrimonio disminuyera rápidamente en Alemania del Este hasta al-canzar el nivel existente en Alemania Occidental; pero contrariamente a lo esperado, el numero aumentó. Según los autores de este artículo, la distinta actitud de las mujeres frente al trabajo ex-plica la diferencia observada entre Oriente y Occidente durante los aňos noventa. A pesar de las condiciones desfavorables del mercado de trabajo y de una politica social que incentiva a las mujeres a abandonar el empleo al tener un hijo, las alemanas del Este so...
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