Gender Gap in Part-Time Work Exceeds 37 Percentage Points as German Retail Workers Strike for 7% Raise
13.06.2026 - 02:57:59 | boerse-global.de
A fresh analysis published on June 11 casts a stark light on part-time employment patterns in Switzerland. According to the data, 38.7 percent of all employed people — roughly 1.9 million individuals — currently work reduced hours. The figures reveal a pronounced gender divide: 58 percent of women have cut their schedules, compared to just 21 percent of men.
Among parents, the disparity becomes even sharper. Almost three-quarters of mothers (74.9 percent) work part-time, while only 14.3 percent of fathers do. The employer association behind the study pushed back against the notion that part-time work is primarily a "lifestyle choice" of younger generations. In fact, the part-time rate for 15-to-24-year-olds stands at 28.2 percent, well below the national average.
The report also identified a substantial number of underemployed workers. Approximately 254,000 part-time employees — three-quarters of them women — said they would immediately increase their hours if given the opportunity.
Across the border in Austria, the government is moving to scale back state-subsidized phased retirement, known as Altersteilzeit. A draft bill attached to the 2026 budget law (Budgetbegleitgesetz) would tighten eligibility criteria and require companies to more carefully check whether their models qualify for funding. The financial framework for reducing work hours before pension age is set to be adjusted.
Meanwhile, the German labor market is seeing company-level moves that affect part-time and mini-job workers. According to the trade union ver.di, clothing retailer Wöhrl AG plans to shift its 450-euro (mini-job) part-time staff into a group-owned service company called WTHG. Employees would receive termination notices and then be offered re-employment as temporary agency workers. Ver.di has advised affected workers not to sign any new contracts without scrutiny and to file objections. The restructuring is part of a longer turnaround history at Wöhrl, which has previously entered protective shield proceedings and closed stores.
On June 12, large-scale walkouts hit the textile retail sector. Ver.di called on employees at chains including H&M, Zara, Primark, C&A, and TK Maxx to stage warning strikes across North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Bremen. Workers in Dortmund, Bielefeld, Hannover, and Oldenburg took part. The union is demanding a 7 percent pay increase for the roughly 700,000 employees in the industry, with a minimum absolute rise of 225 euros per month over a 12-month contract period. In Lower Saxony and Bremen, demands also include a minimum hourly wage of 14.90 euros. The employers’ latest offer — 2 percent from November 2026 and an additional 1.5 percent from August 2027 — was rejected as insufficient by the union. Industry representatives do not expect the strikes to significantly disrupt customer traffic.
Despite the wage disputes, demand for specialized part-time temporary workers remains robust. Job postings from mid-June show differentiated pay scales. For example, pharmaceutical packaging positions in Laupheim seeking billing specialists with SAP Concur experience offer hourly rates between 22.50 and 26.50 euros. Early childhood educators in the Hannover region can expect 21 to 25 euros per hour through staffing agencies, plus extras such as holiday and Christmas bonuses. More traditional clerical roles in part-time, such as in Doberlug-Kirchhain or logistics positions in Muggensturm, pay between 15.69 and 17.65 euros per hour. Requirements are rising: alongside strong language skills, employers increasingly demand specific ERP expertise — for instance in Infor LN — as well as solid knowledge of customs law and freight forwarding.
