TY - JOUR A1 - Schmauk, Sarah A1 - Nylin, Anna-Karin T1 - Mothers’ earnings trajectories in Sweden and West Germany: the role of separation, socioeconomic position, and the welfare state JF - Genus N2 - By studying mothers’ labour earnings trajectories in Sweden and West Germany, this cross-national study emphasises strengths and weaknesses in both countries’ social policy settings regarding the protection of mothers from the adverse effects of separation. Using extensive register data, our sample consists of women who gave birth between 1992 and 2014. The observation window ranges from one year before the first childbirth until ten years after. Utilising fixed-effects regression models, we estimate whether earnings trajectories differ between mothers who experience separation in the years after childbirth compared to mothers who remain partnered. Results show that separation is negatively linked to the earnings trajectories of first-time mothers in Sweden, whereas it is positively linked in West Germany. In Sweden, although the earnings of separated mothers lag behind those of partnered mothers, both groups can return to their pre-birth earnings levels. In West Germany, however, both partnered and separated mothers’ earnings remain far below pre-birth levels. Our findings further reveal that in both countries, mothers with lower pre-birth earnings positions face the most disadvantaged situations following separation. Based on the findings, we would like to emphasise the importance of social policies that promote female economic autonomy throughout the life course, while avoiding cuts in welfare support that risk undermining mothers’ economic safety net, as these would disproportionately affect single-headed families in lower earnings positions. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s41118-025-00270-3 VL - 81 IS - 1 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Kreyenfeld, Michaela A1 - Schmauk, Sarah ED - Mortelmans, Dimitri ED - Bernardi, Laura ED - Perelli-Harris, Brienna T1 - Widowhood and grey divorce T2 - Research Handbook on Partnering across the Life Course N2 - The death of a partner and union dissolution both mark the endpoint of a partnership. However, as these events previously primarily occurred at different life course stages, they have generally been investigated in separate strands of literature. With the growing prevalence of divorce at later ages, however, research on widowhood and “grey divorce” has moved closer together. This chapter examines whether and to what extent the findings on the consequences of grey divorce mirror the existing results on the consequences of widowhood. Attention is also given to the different ways in which welfare states buffer the adverse effects of the death of a partner and divorce on individuals’ economic wellbeing at advanced ages. While this chapter seeks to summarize achievements regarding grey divorce research, we conclude with a critical discussion, which, among other things, reflects on the use of universal and fixed cut-off ages (such as age 50) to define grey divorce. Y1 - 2025 SN - 9781803923383 U6 - https://doi.org/10.4337/9781803923383.00022 SP - 178 EP - 190 PB - Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Haan, Peter A1 - Kreyenfeld, Michaela A1 - Schmauk, Sarah A1 - Mika, Tatjana T1 - The Gender Pension Gap Grows the More Children a Woman Has JF - DIW Weekly Report N2 - The gender pension gap, the difference in pension entitlements between men and women, is 32 percent for 60-yearolds according to data from the German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung). In addition, there is a considerable motherhood pension gap: Statutory pension entitlements for mothers and childless women differ greatly. Pensionrelated childcare credits, which were introduced in 1986 and have been modified many times since, counteract this gap. Recognition of pension-related childcare credits reduce the difference in pension entitlements between childless women and mothers considerably, albeit only in the immediate years following the birth of a child. For the birth cohorts from 1952 to 1959, the motherhood pension gap for 60-year-olds in western Germany is 26 percent; pension-related childcare credits could not close the gap. Further social and tax policy measures supporting an equal division of care work and paid work are necessary. In addition to expanding public child care, reforms to joint taxation of married couples with full income splitting (Ehegattensplitting) and reducing subsidies for jobs with few working hours (Minijobs) as well as a restructuring of the workplace to be more caretaker-friendly are required. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.18723/diw_dwr:2025-12-1 SN - 2568-7697 VL - 15 IS - 12+13 SP - 79 EP - 85 PB - DIW Berlin — Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung e.V. CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Haan, Peter A1 - Kreyenfeld, Michaela A1 - Schmauk, Sarah A1 - Mika, Tatjana T1 - Rentenansprüche von Frauen bleiben mit steigender Kinderzahl deutlich hinter denen von Männern zurück JF - DIW Wochenbericht N2 - Frauen verdienen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt im Durchschnitt deutlich weniger als Männer. Im Jahr 2024 betrug der sogenannte Gender Pay Gap, der den Unterschied der Bruttostundenlöhne misst, in Deutschland 16 Prozent.info Da die Rentenansprüche aus der gesetzlichen Rentenversicherung in Deutschland direkt von den Löhnen abhängen, überträgt sich diese Lohndifferenz auch auf Unterschiede bei den Rentenansprüchen. Der Unterschied zwischen Männern und Frauen wird als Gender Pension Gap bezeichnet.info Die unterschiedlichen Löhne sind aber nur ein Faktor für die Differenz. Weitere Gründe sind häufige Erwerbsunterbrechungen von Frauen, beispielsweise wegen Kinderbetreuung oder der Pflege von Angehörigen, Segregation auf dem Arbeitsmarktinfo oder Unterschieden bei der Teilzeiterwerbstätigkeit, die sich auf geschlechtsspezifische soziale Normen und Stereotype zurückführen lassen.info Mit der Einführung der Kindererziehungszeiten im Jahr 1986, die durch mehrere Reformen ausgeweitet wurden, sollten die individuellen Rentenansprüche von Müttern erhöht werden. Damit sollte langfristig der Gender Pension Gap und auch der Motherhood Pension Gap, also der Unterschied zwischen den Rentenansprüchen von Frauen mit und ohne Kinder, reduziert werden.info In diesem Wochenbericht werden auf Basis der Versichertenkontenstichprobe (VSKT) der Deutschen Rentenversicherung die Unterschiede bei den gesetzlichen Rentenansprüchen von Männern und Frauen sowie für Frauen nach Anzahl der Kinder untersucht (Kasten 1). Darüber hinaus zeigen die Auswertungen, welche Rolle die Kindererziehungszeiten knapp 40 Jahre nach ihrer Einführung spielen. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.18723/diw_wb:2025-12-1 SN - 1860-8787 VL - 92 IS - 12 SP - 183 EP - 189 PB - DIW Berlin — Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung e.V. CY - Berlin ER -