“Germans are now suddenly facing the problem of energy dependence, they had previously considered these energy imports from a purely commercial angle but also as an ideal solution allowing them to gradually close their own production to meet the strong European environmental constraints and pending the rise of ...
Germany's economy has been the envy of Europe for decades, but no longer. The country is now officially in recession, and its people, who've been used to prosperity, are now losing confidence.
Germany has also been too slow in decarbonising and digitising its economy and in confronting its demographic problems and the acute shortage of skilled workers that affects especially the midsized companies of the Mittelstand.
Challenge 1: Wage growth and inflation
In Germany, the earnings that people take home each month are still growing pretty slowly. Subdued wage growth was for a long time attributed to the labor market reforms of the early 2000s.
Germany has slipped into recession as last year's energy price shock takes its toll on consumer spending. Output in Europe's largest economy dropped 0.3% in the first three months of the year, following a 0.5% contraction at the end of 2022, official data showed Thursday.
The German Basic Law (Grundgesetz), the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany adopted in 1949, officially granted equal rights to women and men, but it has been a long fight for women to obtain actual recognition, and the struggle for gender equality is pursued to this day.
Why is Germany facing an economic crisis? Germany is the worst-performing economy among G7 nations. Experts believe massive inflation has paralysed consumption growth in the country, which coupled with the persistent energy crisis has spelt doom for the economy.
And these 5 charts show how. With Germany already in a technical recession, economists predict that GDP growth is set to stagnate for the rest of the year. While inflation may start to sink, Germany's central bank estimates that it won't reach 2% until at least 2025.
German gender pay gap in numbers
In this case, the researchers estimated that in 2022 women in Germany earned 18% less on average compared with their male counterparts. Men made an average of €24.36 ($25.94) gross per hour across all sectors, while women earned €20.05 ($21.35) per hour before taxes.
Women in Germany are very highly educated: more than half of those with the Abitur (Germany's university entrance qualification), around 50 percent of university graduates and around 45 percent of doctoral students are female.
Under the new law, children below the age of 14 will require their legal guardians to submit the change of declarations. Those 14 or above can do it themselves, but need a letter of support from their legal guardians. A survey taken in 2022, however, showed there was a mixed response towards the new bill in the public.
In June, Commsec chief economist Craig James told Canstar that Australia has a 33% chance of falling into recession in 2023, and that if it did, it would likely be a short-lived contraction. “The sharp rise in interest rates means that the chances of a recession have risen. Perhaps a one-in-three chance.
Quality of life
Overall, Germany is a great place to live. It has a high standard of living, a strong economy, and plenty of cultural and entertainment options for an excellent work-life balance. The cost of living can be high in the major cities, but there are many benefits to living in Germany.
Treaty of Versailles
Allied victors took a punitive approach to Germany at the end of World War I. Intense negotiation resulted in the Treaty of Versailles' “war guilt clause,” which identified Germany as the sole responsible party for the war and forced it to pay reparations.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The German economy is still failing to grow, figures showed Friday, as the country that should be the industrial powerhouse for all of Europe struggles with high energy prices, rising borrowing costs and a lagging rebound from key trading partner China.
Human rights in Germany enjoy a high level of protection, both in theory and in practice, and are enshrined in the Grundgesetz. The country has ratified most international human rights treaties.
Yes, all Germans and legal residents of Germany are entitled to free “medically necessary” public healthcare, which is funded by social security contributions. However, citizens must still have either state or private health insurance, covering at least hospital and outpatient medical treatment and pregnancy.
Germans ranked among the bottom 5 least friendly local populations (50th) and three in ten respondents said that people in Germany are not friendly towards foreign residents and more than half reported finding it difficult to make local friends, with one in three saying that they do not feel at home in Germany.
The national gender pay gap is calculated by WGEA using data from the ABS. As of May 2021, women's average weekly ordinary full- time earnings across all industries and occupations was $1,591.20 compared to men's average weekly ordinary full- time earnings of $1,846.50.