Five million Germans out of work

[Renew Deal]

Germany's unemployment figure rose above the psychologically important level of five million last month.
On Wednesday, the German Federal Labour Agency said the jobless total had reached 5.037 million in January, which takes the jobless rate to 12.1%.

"Yes, we have effectively more than five million people unemployed," a government minister said earlier on ZDF public television.

Unemployment has not been this high in Germany since the 1930s.
<snip>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4228739.stm

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Oh Crap. This means that a Conservative Government...

will win in 2006 and another Bush Poodle will be born.

:argh:

[burythehatchet]

2. please look at context

"...both those on unemployment benefits and welfare support and those who are long-term unemployed are officially classified as looking for work."

I have no idea what that number is in the US, because its never talked about.

[98geoduck]

3. Exactly, unemployment is WAY under reported in the U.S.

and there is probably a significant difference in "working poor".

[psychopomp]

4. Yes, and I am sure that the reunification has a lot to

do with this figure as well. East Germany was a huge burden, even for its very rich neighbor.

[BOHICA06]

6. Unemployment is figure in the following manner in the US

By personal and phone interviews a poll is taken of 60,000 households and the person is asked:

1. Are you 16 year of age or older?
If yes, then
2. Did you work during the week of the 12th?
If no, then
3. Did you look for work the week of the 12th?

All those that answered yes to 1 and either 2 or 3, make up the denominator. Those that answered yes to 3 make up the numerator.


http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_over.htm#source

[Robert Oak]

5. wow, German multinationals are outsourcing like mad too. n/t

[seriousstan]

7. Forcing those on welfare to work for $1.30 more an hour.....

"Schroeder can expect ``only a small positive impact from the labor-market reform in 2005,'' said Juergen Michels, an economist at Citigroup Global Markets in London, in a note to investors. ``But over time, the tighter eligibility criteria for receiving unemployment benefits and the cut in the duration in unemployment benefits will increase incentives to accept jobs.''

To help get people back into work, Germany's municipalities and job centers plan to place as many as 600,000 long-term unemployed in jobs that pay 1 euro ($1.30) or 2 euros per hour in addition to unemployment benefits. One-euro jobbers, who are not counted as unemployed, work as many as 30 hours per week in occupations such as cleaning parks and public buildings."


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=71000001&refer=news_index&sid=as0vGJBvnMGM

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

8. As this kind of thing spreads

across the industrialized world, the idea of the Wobblies looks more and more appealing. Imagine if ALL workers in the world were in a union...............

[TexasLawyer]

9. The declining value of the dollar

is probably also contributing to Germany's economic problems. Relative to the euro, US exports (if we actually have them anymore!) and services sold in US dollars will look increasingly like bargains. US gets business and Germany just has to watch it happen.

I'm sure that the German economic situation saddens the Chimp--NOT!

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Would it be wrong to hire them

as guards at a special camp for Republicans?

[Dirk39]

11. There are more than six million out of work!

The unemployed that are put into training courses by the agency for work are not counted. These training courses are often "fake" - people who put them will not find a job.
On the other hand about 200.000 people are counted now that were not counted before, 'cause welfare and unemployment benefits were combined by the the so-called "reforms". So these people were not counted before, 'cause they were on welfare.
Some experts even claim that more than 8 million people are unemployed.

The "reforms" - it's really pervert how the neoliberal Blairists and DLCers have changed the meaning of this word - resemble a lot those during the end of Weimar, which have driven the unemployed in the arms of the Nazis. Although the situation for many people is somehow desperate it is nowhere near as bad as for many people during the 30's, when from one day to the next the bread-prices were 16 times higher.

At least at the moment, opposed to last year, the numbers seem to show that the conservatives will not win the next election. Seems that the people, who are concerned, understand that the right-wingers would even worsen their situation. On the other hand, last year in some cities with a high unemployed-rate, Nazis (real Nazis: the NPD) did get more votes than the Social-Democrats. The SPD did get just 9% of the votes - it's as if the Democrats in the USA would get just 9% in some areas.

And even the corporations, the right-wing media and their lobbyists support Schröder and the Social Democrats, 'cause having corporate whores in the government, who call themselves "Social Democrats" and "Greens" makes every resistance nearly impossible and weakens the unions, who are historically very close to the SPD.

Half-unemployed in Germany,
Dirk