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Few Women in Management Positions |
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 In March 2005, the German Federal Statistical Office published new data
on the chances of female employees obtaining a management position in
Germany.
According to a recent survey, women are still underrepresented in such
positions. In March 2004, while women accounted for almost half of all
persons in dependent employment, only one third of them worked in
management jobs.
On 22 March 2005, The Statistical Office (Destatis) published its
Microcensus 2004, which revealed that women are still underrepresented
in management positions in Germany. In March 2004, women accounted for
47% of all persons in dependent employment, but for only 33% of all
managers. The (Microcensus) is the largest annual household survey in
Europe, covering about 830,000 persons in some 390,000 households (1%
of the population).
Few women in top management
While women are underrepresented generally at management level, they
are a rare sight indeed within the ranks of top managers. In March
2004, a projected total of 819,000 persons classified themselves as
'employees with comprehensive managerial responsibilities' , including
directors and managing directors. Women accounted for only 21% of this
group. Men continue to represent the bulk of decision-makers in German
business and public administration.
Contrast between eastern and western Germany
The survey found that the ratio of female to male managers is more
balanced In eastern Germany, with just over 42% of women being managers
in the new Länder, compared with 32% in the states of the former
Federal Republic of Germany. Similarly, in eastern Germany, women
accounted for 29% of employees with comprehensive managerial
responsibilities, as against 20% in western Germany. Whether women are
given a chance to take on such responsibilities largely depends on the
economic sector in which they work: the highest proportions of female
managers were found in the service sector and in public administration,
at 53% and 39%, respectively. In construction, only 14% of all managers
were women.
In comparison to a previous survey from May 2000, the overall share of
management positions today as well as the share of those posts with
comprehensive decision-making responsibilities that are occupied by
women have both increased by just one percentage point. In 1996, the
female share of all management posts stood at 30%; for those positions
with comprehensive decision-making responsibilities, the figure was
19%. These figures show that, now as then, men dominate the top
management positions in German companies and public administration.
Education crucial for career progression
Employees with high professional educational levels are promoted more
easily in corporate and administrative hierarchies. In March 2004, a
majority (55%) of leading positions in companies and in public
administration were occupied by those with a qualification either from
a traditional university or a university of applied sciences. Indeed,
63% of men with such qualifications said that they were either an
employee occupying a management position or a civil servant in the
upper echelons of the service. Women who have qualified from a
university (of whatever kind) fare less well: 43% said that they held a
management position, which is considerably less than men with
comparable qualifications. In terms of top management posts, the
discrepancy between men and women is even greater: while 12% of men
with a university qualification said that they occupied such a
position, only 3% of women with such a qualification had this type of
job.
Mothers least likely to hold management positions
Women, particularly mothers, are underrepresented at the highest
corporate levels. In March 2004, of those non-self-employed female
workers who were actively employed at the time of the survey and not
temporarily on leave (for example, because of maternity leave),
approximately 12% were in top management positions; for men, this
figure is 21%. If there are children in the household, the share of
non-self-employed women in leadership positions falls, while it
increases for men. For instance, in March 2004, only 10% of mothers
occupied a management position. The corresponding figure for fathers
was 24%, i.e. more than double that for women. It is especially rare
for women to hold a management post if they are married and have
children: according to the survey, only 10% of married mothers were top
managers. The women who were most likely to have such a position,
namely 17%, were those who were not married or who did not have a
partner and who also lived in a household without children.
In March 2004, 18% of men who were in a long-term relationship and who
also had children were in a top management position. In contrast,
married men who lived in households in which there were no children
were the most likely to be managers. In March 2004, 25% of such men
held a leadership position. The survey shows that the group of women
with the best career opportunities were those in the 30 to 44 age
category who had no children.
Both in terms of career development as well as in terms of starting a
family, the middle adult years from 30 to, and including, 44 are
'critical' . This can be seen particularly clearly amongst
non-self-employed female workers in the 'family phase' . While in March
2004 21% of this age group of actively employed women who lived in
households without children were in management positions, only 10% of
mothers were found to be in similar posts. In contrast, 24% of men in
the 30-44 age bracket without children were in a leadership position;
the figure for fathers in the same age bracket was 23%. It is
interesting to note in this regard that women who do not have children
were the least likely to be found in low and middle positions, while at
the same time being the most likely to be in leadership positions.
Commentary
According to the results of the Microcensus 2004, equal opportunities
for men and women in work have still not been achieved. Nevertheless,
there is plenty of evidence to show that female professionals are more
successful than ever in Germany. The data also demonstrate that more
women have university degrees, obtain a job and earn higher wages than
ever before. However, the survey highlights the fact that more needs to
be done in this area by the government and possibly also by the social
partners, in particular with regard to improving possibilities for
combining family and work in the future.
Detailed results of the Microcensus 2004 on this topic and a variety of
other subject areas, such as living arrangements, the commuting
patterns of the employed, the unemployed and those in the reserve
labour force are contained in the brochure Leben und Arbeit in
Deutschland (Living and Working in Germany - Results of the
Microcensus).
 Lothar Funk
WSI in der Hans-Bockler-Stiftung
28 June 2005
Obtained from EIRO
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