Students fear discrimination in the labor market

In a survey for the study series "Fachkraft 2030" (Maastricht University and Jobvalley) was analyzed on the topic of equal opportunities. In March 2021, about 12,000 people participated nationwide. The results show that students fear having to suffer professional disadvantages because of their gender (70%), cultural origin (70%) or sexual orientation (36%).  

Especially in the part-time job market, which is a great help for many students to finance their studies, there is a lot of disagreement. Indeed, the survey revealed that there is a disparity in average salary - to the disadvantage of the non-German part of the sample. While German respondents earned an average of 12.21 euros per hour in the 2020/21 winter semester, the figure for non-German part-time employees was just 11.61 euros, which represents a drop of more than 5 percent across all job types considered. By comparison, the gender pay gap is now almost non-existent in the student context, with male wages differing from female wages by just one cent per hour, or 0.1 percent, during the study period. And on the issue of sexual orientation, the pay gap between the two groups is also marginal, at 0.4 percent (in favor of heterosexual respondents).

The survey also found that the non-German share of respondents had lower participation in the job market compared to the German share. While 12.1 percent on the German side reported having no success in finding a job, the figure on the non-German side was almost double, at 21.1 percent.  

How high do students imagine their future salary to be?

On the subject of equal opportunities, the students' view of their future careers also plays a key role. To this end, students were asked about their expected starting salary after graduation. On average, male participants are significantly more ambitious than female students. For example, the expected starting salary on the male side is exactly 7.3 percent above the female target, which means a theoretical annual gross salary difference of around 3,100 euros. Here, too, subconscious inequalities are evident that are shaped by society and still influence the opinions of the new generation.