Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Robot_Teacher]

Places like Great Britain and Western Europe are still maintaining strong currency values and powerhouse economies despite former industrial centers being highly polished touristy areas today and the economic downturn surely effecting them. There's talk of there being not enough employment and the global economic downturn is causing problems, but they're still managing to keep their currencies strong as a bull and prices sky high.

How does Western Europe pull it off? Are they exempt from the current crisis other Western countries are experiencing? Becuase prices are very expensive in Western Europe, this indicates they got an economic engine still in high gear.

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

Well as far as Britain goes we sold of all our industries sure - but the British fianciers and fiancial lawyers etc literally have as lot of control over global finance and the handling of it. Fingers in a lot of pies so to speak....

[ChopChaeJoe]

What's the alternative? The dollar, sure. But the American century is over.

[ekul]

[Robot_Teacher]

ekul, you're right. Reports of high unemployment and economic hardship are coming in. British retirees in Spain and other places complain of their retirement checks being worth 30% less than when they bought their retirement homes in other lands who now want to sell, but can't so they're stranded. Young people are also having a bad go at it similiar to how it is in North America where it's seems next to impossible to be gainfully employed, especially for college grads. It must be really hard for many young Brits and others who are under employed with the high cost of living.

The pound has lost value as it normally was around 2 USD per pound and now it's like 1.60 pound per USD. The Euro dollar has fared better as it's been like 1.30 to 1.40 Euro per USD for the last couple years, but back in 2002 it was like .87 Euro per USD which made travel in Europe a bargain for Americans back then. I would guess Western Europe has been hit with significant inflation in the past 5 to 7 years to make prices so high. That's Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark that has the safety net social system where they're paying the unemployed well and ensuring everyone are financially protected with health care insurance. In America, if you get sick without insurance, you're in big financial trouble which is ruining millions of Americans lives. And insurance is difficult to impossible for millions to get and afford as most jobs are not providing it and when they do, it's like 15% to 35% of take home pay so most opt out as take home is already not enough.

I, like millions of British and North Americans are anxiously ready and waiting for the job market and economy to improve up to acceptable standards so we can get on with our lives in a more meaningful manner.

[kg2095]

[English Matt]

[Robot_Teacher]

English Matt, you're right the Eastern countries are developing and still cheap economies so many international companies are doing business over there which employ millions while in developed expensive economies, unemployment is increasing due to the high cost of doing business.

Your statement in the red is all too common and it doesn't matter if you have a college degree or not. Heck, I've worked retail and corporate accounting office with high school drop outs after college along side many with their Masters and we didn't have benefits, but only $8 to $9/hour part time work. The corporate cubicle IT/accounting job was full time, but it would require a quarter of our $1000 a month take home to purchase health insurance doing the rich mans financial computerized leg work in a large well known global corporation using a nonsensical UNIX sys with tiny green monitors. Absurd greed. And managers were mean to us as to pressure good quality work out of us rather than rewarding us. Not even help with transportation to the suburban office and most of us were city folk nor even a holiday party, vacation, bonus or anything, but 38 hours of work offered. It's a tough world out there. Most of us had 2 or 3 of these jobs, but now there's not enough to go around for everyone willing to work just to have one low paying part time job though many experienced people still hold more than 1. I knew for years it was much better in Europe if you're an E.U. citizen and I wanted out. Now I'm out momentarily.

"Additionally, unemployment may have looked low in the US, but many people were on subsistence wages, with no healthcare, working long hours just to make ends meet....not so in most continental European economies."