Underrated Performance: Survey Shows Dissatisfaction Among Women Regarding Pay

The pay inequality between genders continues to be a defining issue in the German labor market. A recent survey by the polling institute YouGov, conducted on behalf of the job platform Indeed, reveals that a majority of female employees in Germany feel disregarded with regards to the wage structure. The study, which involved over 14,000 working women from eleven nations, shows: 57 percent of German participants are dissatisfied with their remuneration, which is close to the international disquiet of 56 percent. The outlook is also clouded. The survey as part of the "Work needs Women Report" indicates that every second respondent in Germany is only cautiously optimistic about the prospects for gender-equal pay. More than half (53 percent) do not expect the income gap between genders to close significantly before half a century. The figures from the Federal Statistical Office confirm the perceptions of the respondents. With an unadjusted gender-specific income difference of 18 percent in 2023, the gender pay gap once again manifests itself in Germany's wage statistics. Remarkably, 45 percent of the participants report to have never actively demanded a wage increase. Nearly a third (29 percent) of women cite a lack of courage as the reason for this. The results show a demographic difference: While only 31 percent of older female employees report an income gap, nearly half (49 percent) of Generation Z members and younger millennials view it as a fact. Ute Neher, labor market expert at Indeed, sees the younger female generation in transition: They internalize the imbalance in payment structures from the beginning. The study advocates for a collaboration of structural adjustments in politics and businesses to narrow the gender pay gap. Furthermore, expert Neher emphasizes that it depends on the individual commitment of every woman to achieve this. The report also uncovers that nearly every second woman in Germany (49 percent) attributes advantages to men in professional advancement. Family duties such as childcare, caregiving for relatives (47 percent), as well as sexism and prejudices (40 percent) are in the spotlight of the identified career obstacles. In addition to unequal pay, about one in four women (24 percent) reports having been harassed at work. Also not to be neglected is the emotional and psychological dimension of this issue. Nearly half (46 percent) of the female employees surveyed in Germany report psychological stress, which complicates open discussion with supervisors with a reticence rate of 54 percent.