For forty years, the U.S.-led global economy has produced an enormous improvement in human welfare. The percentage of the world’s population living on less than $1.90 per day fallings from 42% to 10%.
At the same time, income inequality has surged in countries with advanced economics. Nowhere has it surged more than the United States, where reliance on free-market forces magnifies rewards for those at the top while leaving others behind.
January 2021 Even before COVID-19, New York was already defined by a gap between the rich and poor. Yet during the pandemic, wealth has become a determinant of survival. The pandemic hit New York in the spring, with almost 800 people dying from COVID-19 each day in April.
The city has been uneasy since then. People’s lives have been shaken by months of stay-at-home orders, changing public health measures, “Black Lives Matter” protests, the presidential election, and above all the economic consequences of the pandemic, including ever-widening inequality between New Yorkers.
Many people are moving to Germany because the working conditions and salary are often much better than in their home country. See how much money you can expect to earn and get some insights from a German.
YouTube comments:
“After working in Germany for several years in different cities and PhD in STEM, I can tell you that salaries are not that high as people imagine. After considering expensive rents and high tax, your disposable income isn’t much. The benefits come from social benefits, usually nice working hours, paid holidays, healthcare, great cheap alcohol and peaceful country. If you seek making a lot of money, Germany isn’t your country. In Europe you probably have look north for higher salaries and Switzerland, in Asia, some highly developed countries like Singapore. If you have a high level of education and work for a good company in the USA and even sometimes in Latin America, are better places to make great money. But hey money isn’t everything, you need to evaluate pros- and cons.”
“While average income in Germany was relatively high in 2019 with ~€3500 as mentioned in the video, the median was much lower with just €2500 (gross income). That means that 50% of the German population earn less than €2500 (~€1700 after taxes and insurances). It’s also worth mentioning that you’re considered upper class with a net income of around €5500 gross income, but you have to pay the property tax with just a monthly income of around €4500 gross income. If you plan to buy real estate in Germany: Forget it.”
“I work in a big car company in Germany as Engineer… and I can tell you the salaries are not high compared to the very high rent (or apartment prices), taxes and high prices of Energy and Benzin in Germany. I really wonder how people here are able to live who get lower salaries. And at some point you have to save to buy a house or an apartment (with something like half a million Euro) because after geting retired, your income gets 60% lower and then you will not even afford the rent of your apartment. I saw retired people who had to move to smaller worse apartments or ask for social housing or shelters. I think life here is not as rosy as people in the third world think. What is worse is: I think the government and politicians in Germany do not care much about this problem, or act as if there is no poor people in Germany at all. Politicians in Germany are rather busy with saving the Earth, recycling and cutting CO2 as their main mission… helping the poor or the middle class in Germany comes as second priority.”
“From the US here and about to start my first job out of college in Germany. I’m going there for the quality of life, I don’t care that I can make more here — if I die tomorrow the extra savings means nothing, but a strong welfare/healthcare system, fewer stupid people, better infrastructure, lower crime rates, better work culture, decent politicians, beautiful nature and architecture, etc. will have made me enjoy my life every day. I want that peace of mind and I can’t get that here. Everything is fundamentally messed up here and nothing will change in a meaningful way anytime soon.”
Work hard, make money, send your kids to college, retire to Florida. it sounds nice in theory, but the reality of work in America is dramatically different from the American Dream we’ve all been taught to believe in.
YouTube comments:
“You aren’t paid by how hard you work, you’re paid by how hard you are to replace.”
“I used to work for a company in Montreal (Québec) that had an important partnership with NY and, you guys, you are INTENSE. This American girl spent three weeks at our office, and she proudly said she would stay in the office until 2 a.m. just to get the project/ do a certain transfer on time instead of waiting the next morning like a regular person (or just tell the client that we were humans beings getting good night sleep at 2 a.m., and postpone the thing.). For her it was perfectly normal, and she looked at us as if we were lazy for going out for beers after work and getting a life. All my American contacts were like that, to different levels, but from our perspective they were always “difficult” to work with because they did not have limits or boundaries with work…I was regularly receiving emails at insane hours from people working in the same time zone as I was, and one girl was impressed that we were NOT doing 12-hour days. In a way it was sad.”
“I’m American now living in the UK. I had the American work mentality when I moved here and everyone thought I was crazy. I felt so guilty taking any of my 25 paid vacations days a year. I would log into my work email whilst on vacation and got told off for it. I got pregnant and only took 6 months of my 9 months paid maternity leave. I eventually calmed down my workaholic tendencies and honestly I feel more balanced. I enjoy my time with my son and husband. We can plan vacations abroad 2-3 times a year and I’m able to shut off as soon as I leave work. Don’t even get me started on healthcare.”
In this Sessions short, Jeff Bezos details why there is no such thing as work-life balance.
YouTube comments:
Michael Moore visits two factories and business parks where he talks (through his German translator) with various other blue-collared workers about the country’s labor rights and work life balance. He and his film crew visit the pencil making factory Faber-Castell.
Vacation, taking sick days, maternity leave…work-life balance is really different in Germany & the USA.
So my question for you is: How do you feel about work-life balance? Is there anyone out there who prefers the way that it’s done in the U.S.? And people with children, what’s the parental leave been like where you’ve lived?
