October 02, 2024 | News
Reading Material for German Unity Day
As we reflect on over three decades of reunification, the disparities between East and West Germany remain a critical area of research. This little collection of publications brings together four contemporary studies examining the ongoing social, economic, and health differences. From the impact of late working life to education and health inequalities, these articles shed light on the evolving East-West divide. We also explore the challenges faced by partnered and single mothers across Germany, as well as the unequal mortality burden of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dudel, C.; Loichinger, E.; Klüsener, S.; Sulak, H.; Myrskylä, M.:
Demography, 1–23. (2023)
Abstract
The extension of late working life has been proposed as a potential remedy for the challenges of aging societies. For Germany, surprisingly little is known about trends and social inequalities in the length of late working life. We use data from the German Microcensus to estimate working life expectancy from age 55 onward for the 1941‒1955 birth cohorts. We adjust our calculations of working life expectancy for working hours and present results for western and eastern Germany by gender, education, and occupation. While working life expectancy has increased across cohorts, we find strong regional and socioeconomic disparities. Decomposition analyses show that among males, socioeconomic differences are predominantly driven by variation in employment rates; among women, variation in both employment rates and working hours are highly relevant. Older eastern German women have longer working lives than older western German women, which is likely attributable to the German Democratic Republic legacy of high female employment.
Kühn, M.; Dudel, C.; Werding, M.:
Social Science Research 114:102906, 1–14. (2023)
Abstract
Balancing parenthood and employment can be challenging and distressing, particularly for single mothers. At the same time, transitioning to employment can improve the financial situations of single mothers and provide them with access to social networks, which can have beneficial effects on their health and well-being. Currently, however, it is not well understood whether the overall impact of employment on single mothers is positive or negative, and to what extent it differs from the impact of employment on partnered mothers. Building on the literature on work-family conflict, we investigate the differential effects of employment transitions on the health and well-being of single mothers and partnered mothers. Using longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (1992–2016), we apply panel regression techniques that address the potential endogeneity of maternal employment, as well as the dynamic nature of the relationship between employment transitions and maternal health and well-being. We find that employment has a positive impact on single mothers, and that single mothers benefit from employment significantly more than partnered mothers. Surprisingly, income does not appear to be an important driver of these results. Overall, our findings suggest that employment plays a key role in the well-being of single mothers.
Kolobova, M.; Jdanov, D. A.; Jasilionis, D.; Shkolnikov, V. M.; Rau, R.:
European Journal of Public Health, 1–7. (2023)
Abstract
Intra-annual excess mortality is a key measure of life losses due to short-term risks. This study estimates excess mortality in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) and identifies regional-level factors behind its spatial inequality. Using weekly, age-standardized death rates for each federal state, we calculate state-specific mortality trends and examine relationships between excess mortality, COVID-19 morbidity, and socioeconomic indicators. Results show a South-to-North gradient in 2020 and an East-to-West gradient in 2021, with stronger effects of COVID-19 morbidity in East Germany. Economic activity, employment, and ICU capacity were key factors linked to regional excess mortality.
Mazzeo, F.; Schwartz, C.; Scherer, S.; Vitali, A.:
Comparative Population Studies 49, 317–336. submitted. (2024)
Abstract
Couples in which wives have more education than their husbands have been found to be more likely than other couples to divorce. But this relationship varies across time and place. We compare the relationship between spouses’ relative education and marital dissolution across four birth cohorts born between 1951 and 1990 in East and West Germany using 37 waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel (1984-2021) and Cox proportional hazard models. The comparison between East and West Germany provides contrasting levels and trends in women’s education, employment, and gender cultures, with East Germany persistently being a more gender egalitarian context compared to West Germany. Our results show that marriages in which wives have more education than their husbands are less stable in West Germany, but not in East Germany, where the point estimates indicate that these couples are more stable than other couples, but this association is not statistically significant. We do not find evidence of cohort change in these associations in either East or West Germany. These findings are consistent with the idea that the consequences of non-traditional gender arrangements are weaker in more egalitarian contexts and confirm that notable differences between East and West Germany persist after reunification.