Pauline Kalender

Female immigrants and employment: An analysis of factors currently impeding integration of displaced women into the German labour market Pauline Kalender

Because of the high number of involuntary migrants who arrived in Germany over the past years, displaced people may at least partly counteract the economic consequences of the demographic change in Germany. Yet, particularly displaced women are comparatively seldom employed in Germany. The purpose of this thesis therefore is to identify factors that impede the inclusion of displaced women into the German labour market and examine their respective importance. The employment of these women has, amongst others, positive effects on their social integration, the federal budget and the German economy. In this thesis, a theoretical analysis of relevant literature concerning the topics migration, gender equality, employment and impediments for labour market integration of displaced women is given. Afterwards, two surveys are presented. The first survey is a quantitative one analysing the data of 42 displaced women. The second one is qualitative, gathering information from five experts. Main impediments for integration of displaced women into the labour market are the lack of professional experience and education, particularly poor German skills. Other major difficulties are traditional role distribution and bias by employers, especially against women wearing headscarves. The results provide a basis for the creation or alteration of support offers that facilitate labour market participation for displaced women.