<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Germany is characterised by large gender gaps in the labour market. Both the gender pay gap as well as the gender gap in working hours are among the highest in Europe. Family policy reforms such as increasing the parental leave period that is ear-marked for fathers as well as reducing the high marginal tax rates for secondary earners resulting from the joint taxation of married couples with full income splitting (“Ehegattensplitting”) could help to mitigate the existing gender gaps in the labour market. These reforms are also paramount due to the increasing labour scarcity stemming from the demographic change.</p>
</abstract>

Germany is characterised by large gender gaps in the labour market. Both the gender pay gap as well as the gender gap in working hours are among the highest in Europe. Family policy reforms such as increasing the parental leave period that is ear-marked for fathers as well as reducing the high marginal tax rates for secondary earners resulting from the joint taxation of married couples with full income splitting (“Ehegattensplitting”) could help to mitigate the existing gender gaps in the labour market. These reforms are also paramount due to the increasing labour scarcity stemming from the demographic change.

Reforms of Parental Leave Benefits and the Taxation of Married Couples Could Enhance Gender Equality

Wirtschaftsdienst

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Reformen bei Elterngeld und Ehegattensplitting könnten gleichstellungspolitische Impulse setzen

Germany is characterised by large gender gaps in the labour market. Both the gender pay gap as well as the gender gap in working hours are among the highest in...

Reforms of Parental Leave Benefits and the Taxation of Married Couples Could Enhance Gender Equality

Published Online: Sep 21, 2023

Page range: 600 - 602

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/wd-2023-0169

© 2023 Katharina Wrohlich, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.