From: stets@stets.novalis.public.sub.org (Thomas Stets)
Newsgroups: misc.jobs.misc
Subject: Re: Why do Americans get so little vacation time?
Date: 18 Aug 92 23:08:11 GMT
Organization: Just me.

jch3254@ultb.isc.rit.edu writes in article <1992Aug15.205633.8569@ultb.isc.rit.edu>:
>
>   On a flight back from Europe, a scholarly German gent
>   related these reasons when I asked him "why do Germans
>   seem to work less for more?"
>
>    o Germany pays very little for its defense compared
>      to the US.

Some numbers:

     Germany:  Military expenditure 2.9% of GNP ($ 576 per capita) (1988)
     USA    :     "          "      6.3% of GNP ($1249 per capita) (1988)


>    o Germany lets in proportionally fewer unskilled immigrants.

     Germany: Immigrants admitted 1989: 1522190  (about 2.5% of population)
     USA    : Immigrants admitted 1989: 1090924  (about 0.5% of population)

     I don't know how skilled/unskilled the immigrants are. But they tend
     to be less skilled (and if it's only because they don't speak the
     language) than the average native worker.
     And Germany let in a lot more immigrants.

>    o Germany's work force is more educated than US.

     See below.

>
>  However,
>
>    o Germans have greater social benefits since they, as a culture,
>      are more willing to sacrifice personal freedom for social
>      security.

     It all depends what you call 'personal freedom', but yes,
     you're probably right here.

>
>    o Germany doesn't have a middle class in the same sense as
>      the US.  There are the professionals (engineers, managers,
>      civil servants, etc), factory workers (i.e., the working class)
>      and guest workers ( Poles, Turks, etc.)  Professionals make a
>      lot of money and factory workers get a lot of gov't supplied
>      or mandated benefits.

     I don't know what you call 'middle class' but let's have a look
     at the distribution of income:

     percentage of household income by quintile:

                1        2        3        4        5

     Germany   6.8     12.7     17.8     24.0     38.7
     USA       3.9      9.6     15.9     24.0     46.6


     So the USA has a larger lower class, and a upper class getting
     nearly 50% of the income. In Germany the income is more evenly
     distributed. The difference between the classes is not as big
     and middle class is larger.
     And since Germany still has the concept of apprenticeship (sp?)
     most workers have a very good training.

>    o One has station in life ( a class, a job ) and one is expected
>      to stay there for life.  Major career changes aren't done.

     It is true that the germans don't like to move. They tend to stay
     where they are living and tend to stay a long time with their
     company.
     But IMHO it is as easy or even easier to make a career in Germany
     as in the US. (How easy would it be in the US to become a
     System Analytic without an university degree? without having
     studied at all?)



     So some of these points are valid, others are not. Maybe the
     reasons are completely different.
     Don't ask me :-)


     (All numbers and statistical data from Britannica Anual World Data 1992)



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Thomas Stets  Tel. +49 (7031) 04957       ! Sweet freedom whispered in my ear
Holzgerlingen, Germany                    ! You're a butterfly
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