The newly appointed German Minister of Labor, Beate Bass, has called for improved working conditions for women to boost their employment rates.
Bass, a member of the Social Democratic Party, stated in an interview with the German newspaper “Bild am Sonntag,” published today, “Employers need to create a work environment that enables more mothers to work full-time.” She emphasized that this would help increase the number of working hours in Germany, adding, “Every additional worker and every extra hour of work propels us forward.”
In his first governmental address last week, Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union, Friedrich Merz, urged citizens to make a “massive effort” to restore the country’s competitiveness. He remarked, “We need to work harder and more efficiently, especially in this country.”
Bass told the newspaper that greater female participation in the workforce can only be achieved through collective effort. She pointed out that many women in Germany are working part-time against their wishes. These women desire to work more but are unable to do so due to a lack of childcare options or due to non-family-friendly work models. She expressed, “Women often work less, earn less, and ultimately face poverty in old age. This is unjust, and we must address it.”
The Minister indicated that the government plans to implement two measures to enhance women’s employment. She stated, “We are working within the ruling coalition to expand childcare services. Additionally, we are providing tax support to employers who incentivize their employees to transition to full-time work.”
According to a report from the newspaper, based on data from the Ministry of Labor, only 11% of men in the workforce are employed part-time, whereas the figure for women is 49%. If the 9.3 million women working part-time were to increase their working hours by 10% (approximately two extra hours per week per woman), it would equate to an additional half a million full-time jobs, according to the ministry’s calculations.