Half of employed women in Germany work part-time, only 12% among men
Around half of employed women in Germany work part-time, official figures showed on Monday.
The Federal Statistical Office said new data reveals 49% of women and 12% of men in employment do not work full-time.
According to the Wiesbaden-based agency, 29% of German employees work part-time, more than ever before.
Overall, 77% of people between the ages of 15 and 66 are in some form of employment.
The figure includes 74% of women, a major increase from the 59% recorded in 2005. The proportion of men in employment has also risen from 71% to 81% over the same period.
The data also reveals major insights on gender inequality in parenthood and childcare in Germany.
The part-time rate for mothers of underage children is 68%, rising to 73% for those with children under the age of 3 years old.
Fathers, on the other hand, are much less likely to work part-time, with the figure falling to 8% among employed men.
Top trade union official wants incentives for fair care work
Labour Minister Bärbel Bas told the Sunday edition of the Bild newspaper that better working conditions must be created for women to increase employment levels.
"Employers must organize the world of work in such a way that more mothers can work full-time," Bas said.
In response, a leading trade union official said that the German government must offer incentives for parents to ensure care work is more fairly distributed between women and men.
Yasmin Fahimi, head of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), praised Bas' suggestion but warned that women still carry out a far higher proportion of unpaid care work.
"Ultimately, it remains the case that the organization of working hours is a highly individual decision, and that more incentives are needed for a better division between the sexes," said Fahimi.
She told the Tagesspiegel newspaper in comments released on Monday that fathers in Germany should receive more paid parental leave, including 10 days off following the birth of a child.
In Germany, two partners can in total receive up to 14 months of parental allowance while taking parental leave. One partner can receive the parental allowance for up to 12 months.
If the other partner also takes time off work for childcare, this only extends the total amount of time that parents can receive the allowance by two months - often referred to in Germany as the "father months."
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