so indicates this article on unemployment in Germany. This isn't really a new issue regulatory and social costs have been crushing the Germany economy during Kohl and Schroeder era as well. I never expected Kohl would reform it. When I first saw Schroeder speak, a few weeks before he was elected Chancellor, I had hopes he might be able to pass a reform package between moderates from his party and perhaps other members of the Budestag like the CDU/CSU and FDP. Sadly it never materialized into reality. Because of that I can believe what the article says about the modern state of Germany.

I have one German friend who has over 10 years experience in Trans-Atlantic business development, he's pretty good at it. That said he doesn't have a degree just plenty of real world experience. He can't get a job doing business development in Germany so he works in the US instead.

The article mentions "Today's emigrants are more likely to choose Canada, New Zealand and Australia, or, within Europe, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands." I can easily believe this because the current US immigration process discourages many qualified people who might come here. One good friend tired of the process and returned to Germany. A major frustration he had was he realized the illegal alien emptying his trash cans at his work was in the same country he was without paying the fees or dealing with government red tape, so why should he bother?

I have heard many other similar stories from Germans over the years. Germany's stagnation without major economic and social reform will continue to make us look like a Utopia by comparison even with the problems we face.