Women's labor power untapped in Germany

BERLIN — With a rapidly aging population, Germany is urgently looking at how it can encourage more work from a labor force that enjoys the most ample leisure time in the rich world. But analysts say it is overlooking one vital, untapped resource — its women.

Government measures announced in July include tax incentives to encourage overtime and later retirement, plus a 2-billion-euro ($2.2 billion) investment in child care to help more mothers into the workplace.

But even with that, labor market experts say the package does not go nearly far enough to address deep-rooted obstacles in the tax system and long-standing cultural norms that are still keeping many women at home.