> Sam wrote: > France has had an unemployment rate of 10% for over a decade, Germany > is now close to 12%.
I think there're depths to those numbers that you're missing, but, either way, there is more unemployment, yup. That's why it's a middle class dream (not a low class dream). In France, for example, there's a concept of "cadre" (sp?) at a corporation which is like tenure. Once you're in, you're in. If they lay you off they have to pay you your current salary for each year you've been at the company amongst other benefits like vacation. You start at 6 weeks + holidays + company choice which is usually 2 weeks. Your retirement is covered. Let's take a programmer I know in Toulouse. He started out with a major corp at about $22k per year. He received raises to about $26k and attended graduate school (free except taxes). Upon graduation he was bumped to $55k. About 1 year later he made Cadre. Now he'll get 5% or so rises per year for life. He currently gets about 13 weeks of vacation + holidays. He takes one month per year for skiing and one month per summer for a villa on the ocean. He's about 28 now. He's not rich and he probably won't be. He has an apartment in town and a small car. But he's also got all the latest games, computers, toys, etc and plenty of time to play them. He never worries about his job, his pay, or his retirement. He's set. But, yeah, if you're unemployed that sucks. If you have skills, however, it's not bad at all ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Find out how CFTicket can increase your company's customer support efficiency by 100% http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=49 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:185166 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
