The majority of female employees in Germany feel that they are paid unfairly – and have little hope that this will change in the near future. As a representative survey by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the job exchange Indeed showed, 57 percent of women believe that they are not paid enough. This puts Germany close to the international average: among those surveyed from eleven countries, 56 percent of employees were dissatisfied with their pay.
According to the “Work needs Women Report”, every second woman in Germany is pessimistic about a gender-equal future. 53 percent believe that equal pay for men and women will only be realistic in 50 years. For the report, over 14,000 working women in eleven countries, including Germany, USA, France, India and Japan, were surveyed.
Women rarely ask for a raise
According to the Federal Statistical Office, the so-called gender pay gap, i.e. the income gap between men and women, was 18 percent per hour in Germany unadjusted in 2023. Nevertheless, according to a survey, 45 percent of the women surveyed in this country have never asked for a wage increase. Many (29 percent) said they simply didn’t dare. Few women in Germany (23 percent) also feel comfortable asking for a promotion.
While only 31 percent of older female employees perceive a gender pay gap, according to the survey, it is almost half (49 percent) of younger generations such as Gen Z and younger Millennials (25-34 years old). “We are observing a generation of young women who have grown up with the awareness of gender-equal pay,” said Ute Neher, labor market expert at Indeed, in a statement.
In order to close the gender pay gap, structural changes are required in companies and politics. “We need more transparency in salaries and consistent implementation of equal pay laws,” said Neher. “On the other hand, it is up to every single woman to stand up for fair pay.”
Childcare and sexism as career obstacles
According to the report, almost every second woman in this country (49 percent) thinks that men have better career opportunities. Accordingly, 47 percent of them cite childcare and caring for relatives as the biggest career obstacles. 40 percent see sexism and prejudice as a problem. In addition, around one in four women (24 percent) say they have already been harassed at work.
According to the survey, psychological stress is also an obstacle for women in the world of work. Almost half of the female employees surveyed in Germany (46 percent) were or are mentally stressed. 54 percent feel uncomfortable reporting this to their superiors. In an international comparison it is 43 percent.