The Labour Market for Women in the Old and New Länder of the Federal Republic of Germany

Abstract. As in the former FRG (Federal Republic of Germany), in the former GDR (German Democratic Republic) there was also sex-related segregation of, or within, occupations with less opportunities for development, less income, poorer working conditions and restricted opportunities for advancement for women. The transition from a centrally planned economy in the former GDR to a “social market economy” is still accompanied by reports of a dramatic rise in the unemployed and those working short-time. It is becoming clear that women are affected by unemployment to a greater extent than men in the new German Lander, and that the chances for women in the labour market are likely to deteriorate rapidly.