ABSTRACT
Among the most striking developments in the labor market is the growing absorption of women into gainful employment. In 1988, 55 percent of all women between ages 15 and 65 were in the labor market, a percentage that is low by some international standards. In the Federal Republic of Germany, women's progressive integration into the labor market does not confirm traditional patterns of the past but reflects the restructuring process of the West German economy. In addition to blue-collar unskilled labor, women occupy an increasing number of clerical jobs in all branches, jobs that have increased in number with the growth of administrative tasks. The labor market participation of women steadily increased in the two Germanys since the end of World War II but at somewhat different rates. The number of women holding higher education certificates, both of a general and a vocational character, has increased more than that of their male peers.
