The Federal Statistical Office announced on Thursday that the wage gap in eastern and western Germany is different.

Last year, women continued to earn significantly less than their male colleagues. The gender pay gap remained unchanged at 18%, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on Thursday. Accordingly, the average hourly wage for women was 20.84 euros, which is 4.46 euros less than the gross hourly earnings of men (25.30 euros).

The statisticians emphasised that the unadjusted gender pay gap has fallen in a long-term comparison.

In 2006, the gender pay gap was still 23%. It has remained at 18 % since 2020. The pay gap is still significantly smaller in eastern Germany, where it stood at 7 % last year. In Western Germany, on the other hand, it was 19% (2006: east: 6%, west: 24 %

Women also earn less than men in comparable jobs. According to the data, around 64 % of the pay gap can be explained by certain characteristics. “A large part of the pay gap results from the fact that women are more likely than men to work in sectors, occupations, and job levels where pay is lower,” say the statisticians. “In addition, they are more often employed part-time or in marginal employment, which is also associated with lower gross hourly earnings.” The remaining 36% of the pay gap, on the other hand, cannot be explained by the characteristics available in the estimation model. This corresponds to an adjusted pay gap of 6%.