German word of the Day: Verdienstunterschied
An important term for equal pay activists or those simply wanting a wage increase.
Why do I need to know Verdienstunterschied?
Because it is a word which often appears in reports and debates on the topic of wage differences between men and women in Austria.
As Austria has one of the largest gender pay gaps in Europe, it's a topic that is not likely to disappear from the headlines any time soon.
What does it mean?
der Verdienstunterschied is a compound noun made up of der Verdienst – meaning “income” and der Unterschied – meaning "difference".
While it can be used in a number of contexts relating to differences in earnings, it appears most often in discussions on the topic of the gender pay gap.
To talk about wage differences specifically related to sex in German, you can simply use the term Gender-Pay-Gap, or the slightly less catchy geschlechtsspezifische Lohngefälle ("sex-specific wage gaps").
Use it like this:
Seit 2002 ist der Verdienstunterschied zwischen Frauen und Männern fast konstant
Since 2002 the wage gap between men and women has been almost constant
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Why do I need to know Verdienstunterschied?
Because it is a word which often appears in reports and debates on the topic of wage differences between men and women in Austria.
As Austria has one of the largest gender pay gaps in Europe, it's a topic that is not likely to disappear from the headlines any time soon.
What does it mean?
der Verdienstunterschied is a compound noun made up of der Verdienst – meaning “income” and der Unterschied – meaning "difference".
While it can be used in a number of contexts relating to differences in earnings, it appears most often in discussions on the topic of the gender pay gap.
To talk about wage differences specifically related to sex in German, you can simply use the term Gender-Pay-Gap, or the slightly less catchy geschlechtsspezifische Lohngefälle ("sex-specific wage gaps").
Use it like this:
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