The Plight of Female Employment in Germany under School-Related COVID-19 Control Measures

This study empirically assesses the impact of school closures on women’s employment in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s objective is to determine whether school closures have adversely and disproportionately affected women's careers. It tests the argument that the longer schools remain closed during the pandemic, the more women than men are forced to reduce their working hours, opt for part-time jobs, or ask for paid or unpaid leave, or otherwise lose their jobs. The case study reveals that, even though the German federal state has been granting financial incentives for employment during the pandemic, women remain disproportionately affected by the pandemic-related containment measures, notably school closures. This study’s finding that more men were unemployed than women at the apex of the pandemic in Germany can be explained by the already higher number of employed men. Overall, the relationship between the demand for women’s part-time work and women not returning to work is stronger and more significant than that of men’s part-time work and men not returning to work, meaning that there is a growing demand for non-standard forms of employment, such as part-time work, for women compared to men. Childcare responsibilities, which are increasing due to the pandemic, are threatening women's significant gains for gender equality. Although the empirical assessments present varying results, gender inequality subsists and requires carefully formulated policies with a focus on enhancing gender equality and women's labor force participation during and after the pandemic.