Labour markets in transition. The experiences of women in two border regions of East Germany

The political turning point in the former GDR and the transformation processes that have been observed since then have significantly affected economic and social structures in the new Federal States. Gender roles, however, were subjected to even more dramatic changes. Whilst many women experienced the employment policies of the GDR era as beneficial, social researchers often designate them as the losers of unification nowadays. This is largely because the abundance of State support measures for employed women and mothers has been drastically reduced and women as a group have been hit hardest by the crisis on the East German labour market. Using two cases (Mecklenburg-Westpommerania and Thuringia), this paper aims to illustrate the impact of the transformation process on the everyday (working) lives of women. We are particularly concerned with a comparative analysis of how women experience and deal with regional disparities in East Germany. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.