Ministry of the Interior and Sports Berlin Prof. Dr. Ulrike Rockmann Perception of official statistics publications in the public? An international compatible example: Equal Pay Day Session 9: Statistical LiteracyQ2014

Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior and Sports Berlin Transmission risks 2 Official statistics dissemination End-user JournalistsScientists Politicians Stakeholders Prof. Dr. Ulrike Rockmann Administration (Ministries) Even if nobody is ill-natured..... High transmission risks What is our responsibility towards the end- user?

Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior and Sports Berlin Data / Statistical literacy User Preconditions for understanding Knowledge about the topic Knowledge about statistics Output: Publication conditions enough time? / space?  difficult especially in tv-news “Make it as easy as possible but not easier!” Nils Bohr? Albert Einstein? High competence needed Dissemination Official Statistics Do we presuppose to much knowledge? Indicators … must be understandable (GDP!?) construct “reality” grounded on a theory  pinpoint on the scope get a link to the cognitive structure of the user Didactical challenge depending on the statistical literacy of the counterpart, recommendation: high scientific standards of the staff 3 Prof. Dr. Ulrike Rockmann

Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior and Sports Berlin Preconditions for understanding 4 Question Scientific hypothesis Statistical hypothesis Operational hypothesis Statistical analysis Data retrieval Interpretable questions: Starting out with: Do men and women earn the same amount of money? Dependent variable – amount of money (in a year / life span?) Independent variables – individual ones – highest examination, age, working years, regional ones, economic sector, … Classifications for education examination (ISCED), regional and economic sectors, bargaining arragements, etc. Null hypothesis (no difference), alternative hypothesis (difference) Prof. Dr. Ulrike Rockmann

Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior and Sports Berlin Example - Equal Pay Day Reporting in Germany Public perception in Germany Gap is a result of discrimination against women NSI-Destatis reporting [1] adjusted and unadjusted pay gap Methodology: calculation takes individual variables into account (age, gender, working hours, branches, education, …) press releases and methodological report (2006) Results: Job characteristics make the difference Pay gap as result of discontinuity, e.g. baby leave unadjusted gap: 22% (2010, 2012) adjusted gap: 7% (2010) 5 1] 1] [ ] Prof. Dr. Ulrike Rockmann Official statistics dissemination

Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior and Sports Berlin Example - Equal Pay Day Reporting in Germany Trend-setting media: TV ARD (public tv ) Tagesschau – prime time [1] : 22 % less money than men in average – that is the reality for women in Germany. … Even if women work as much and as good as their male colleagues their payment is obviously less. ZDF (public tv ) Heute– prime time [2] : only 22% mentioned “Volle Kanne” [3] (Morning tv 9:00) – very differentiated, expert from university 6 1] [ ] 2] [ ] 3] Frauen#/beitrag/video/ / Equal-Pay-Day-Gleiches-Geld-fuer-Frauen [ ]ttp:// Frauen#/beitrag/video/ / Equal-Pay-Day-Gleiches-Geld-fuer-Frauen Prof. Dr. Ulrike Rockmann

Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior and Sports Berlin Example - Equal Pay Day Reporting in Germany Trend-setting media – Radio Public Radio – Bayern 5 [1] Mentioning the calculation method of the NSI … but “discredit” the approach of the German Institute for Economic Research DIW (“only several thousand persons taken into account”, the NSI million of persons” ) Mixes up adjusted and unadjusted results Public Radio – Radio Bremen [2] Interview with Gender commissioner, quite differentiated 7 1] [ ] 2] [ ] Prof. Dr. Ulrike Rockmann

Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior and Sports Berlin Example - Equal Pay Day Reporting in Germany Trend-setting media – Newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung [1] Discusses NSI and DIW Footnote: result of adjusted gap FAZ [2] Quotes the NSI (unadjusted) – but fragmentary – on purpose Frankfurter Rundschau [3] Quotes the NSI (unadjusted) – but fragmentary Quotes Economic institutes with lower gaps Tagesspiegel [4] Quotes the NSI and the Institute for Employment Research IAB Unadjusted and adjusted 8 1] [ ] 2] [ ] 3] [ ] 4] [ ] Prof. Dr. Ulrike Rockmann

Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior and Sports Berlin Example - The Equal Pay Day Reporting in Germany Parties – reported only unadjusted SPD (Social Democratic Party; minimum wage debate) CDU (Christian Democratic Union; minimum wage debate) FDP (Free Democratic Party, link to NSI) GREEN Party The Left Party Trade unions 9 Prof. Dr. Ulrike Rockmann

Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior and Sports Berlin Summing up Media reports: “Equal Pay Day” TV - fragmentary Radio - less differentiated Newspaper – quite differentiated Challenge for the end-user to understand … when relying on public tv and radio NSI dissemination – recommendations (Germany) should be the guarantor to focus the topic from all sides available (with data from official statistics)…. more anticipation of possible usage 10 Prof. Dr. Ulrike Rockmann