AI-generated summary
The wage gap between women and men is a long-standing topic of discussion in Germany, which is influenced by structural factors such as career choice, part-time employment and regional differences.
And where are you?
If you sort the age groups into women and men, you can see the respective wage gap between the genders.
The state in which you live also affects the amount of your salary.
The Bundestag once again decides on a fuel discount and is debating a fuel price cap. At the same time, the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz is leading to scarcer and more expensive oil. The ZEIT economic podcast analyzes the global situation and the consequences of the oil crisis.
The economic recovery in Germany is only slowly being reflected in the labor market. The Ifo employment barometer rose slightly to 95.1 points in September, while industry and trade continued to cut jobs. At the same time, the Ifo business climate climbed to its highest level in over three years.

The Ifo employment barometer rose slightly in September, but there is no real recovery in the labor market. While service providers and certain industries are looking for staff, reductions in trade and parts of industry continue.
The German labor market is showing slight stabilization as companies want to cut fewer jobs, according to an ifo survey. The employment barometer rose to 95.1 points in September. However, workforce reductions continue in industry and commerce; new hires are only planned in certain sectors.

VNG boss Ulf Heitmüller emphasizes that despite a historically low storage level of 57 percent, the German gas system is more robust than in 2022 and there is no immediate supply risk, although prices have more than doubled and cold weather and global disruptions could trigger price spikes.

The German economy is expected to grow by 1.3 percent in 2026 and by 1.1 percent in 2027, according to current forecasts. The SPD sees this as a success of government economic stimulus programs and is planning a “New Deal” to further strengthen it. Experts like Daniel Stelter and Prof. Dr. Stefan Kooths from IfW, on the other hand, discuss the causes of the upswing and the need for structural reforms.