The number of women in employment subject to social security contributions has reached a new high. On 30 June 2024, 16.2 million women were in employment subject to social security contributions, 92,000 more than a year earlier. At 0.6%, the increase in employment for women was three times higher than that for men, whose employment rose by just 0.2% (+36,000) in the same period.

Working hours distribution: women in more part-time than full-time roles

The increased number of women in employment is exclusively attributable to women in part-time roles, whose number rose by approximately 121,000 compared with the previous year. This means that for the first time, more women are working on a part-time (50.3%) than a full-time (49.7%) basis. The proportion of men working part-time remains significantly lower, at just 13.4%. However, the number of men working part-time also increased compared with the previous year and, at 4.1%, the increase was even greater than that for women (+1.5%). This means that the use of part-time working models is increasing for both genders.

Encouraging equal opportunities remains important

Even though both genders are working more on a part-time basis, the significantly higher proportion of part-time employment among women indicates that structural hurdles still exist. As the German Institute for Employment Research (IAB) discovered in a study conducted in 2023, women would often like to work more hours, but face challenges such as insufficient childcare options or working time models which prevent them from working at their preferred location or which do not offer them the kind of hours that they want.

Daniel Terzenbach, Regional Director of the Federal Employment Agency, emphasizes: “Women are still confronted with structural challenges in the labour market – from limited childcare options to outdated ideas about gender-based role models. The current trend shows both positives and negatives. The encouraging increase in female employment has been accompanied by a rate of part-time employment that has surpassed 50 percent for the first time, for example. In view of the increasing shortage of skilled workers in particular, it is therefore important to look at the inequalities between women and men in terms of the number of hours they work. A partnership-oriented work-life balance which is based on reliable childcare options and flexible working time models is an approach for bringing about positive change.”

The Federal Employment Agency supports women with targeted advice and training opportunities. 

Further information is available on our website Equal opportunities for women and men (available in German) in the labour market.