Among industrialized countries, the U.S. has become a low-wage country. Some European companies are now moving to the United States to take advantage of our low wage labor. The income gap between rich and poor in the United States is bigger than in any other developed country in the world. The United States ranks below 11 other countries in pay and benefits for manufacturing workers. The U.S. ranks below 10 other countries in paid vacation days for workers.
European countries guarantee workers paid vacation days by law.
In many countries, workers are guaranteed health coverage by law. In parental leave and unemployment insurance coverage, the United States also lags behind most European countries. It is important for us to know how other countries address the needs of their working people, and contrast that to what happens in the United States. In Norway, the government provides free education to all its citizens through college and graduate school. In Norway, workers are guaranteed 42 weeks of maternal leave at full pay.