[user90131313]

is this specific to DB only? I feel like Germany needs a lot of workforce at German quality but no way they can fill that with any type of foreign immigration. They lowered a lot of immigration requirements to entry because of this. But still it will be not enough. It's a cultural thing and low wages in Germany can't fix it.

[trueismywork]

The language is a big problem. They can get quality immigrants, but convincing those quality immigrants to learn German is a big task. A lot of people would rather go to US with all it's uncertainty than stay in Germany due to these issues.

[Rinzler89]

The language isn't the biggest problem. Once you learn the language your problems don't stop. The big problem is most companies in Germany still prefer to exclusively hire locals who went through the German education system and have degrees from established local educational institutions, instead of recognizing foreigners' digress from abroad at similar levels to that of locals.

It's a white collar form of discrimination. Unless you come from a country as 'white' and wealthy as Germany, your degrees and experience is seen as much less valuable despite your language knowledge and your CV will be rejected even if it's technically a fit. Then comes the discrimination you'll face when looking for a place to rent but that's in other countries as well like the Netherlands.

[pyuser583]

Americans don’t place much trust in foreign degrees.

We do value actual experience (as opposed to certification).

I once interviewed a nanny who had been a practicing lawyer in Central America.

I chose to hire someone with no education, but an extra year of nannying.

[trueismywork]

Fair enough..

[ivan_gammel]

Well, we just got one million of Ukrainian refugees, half of which is not going to return home according to dome polls, but you are right, the demographics cannot be fixed by immigration alone. I myself currently work on a corporate healthcare project with the goal to reduce sick leaves and reduce health-related early retirements. The parental benefits in Germany are quite generous, but it all breaks into the growing cost of living wall. Everyone understands what’s going on and the urgency, but real solutions are yet to be found.

[Rinzler89]

> but real solutions are yet to be found

"Real solutions" exist, but voters won't want to hear them, so we kick the can down the road until the system collapses by itself naturally.

[ivan_gammel]

They are non-solutions if they cannot pass voter approval. But what are you talking about exactly?

[Rinzler89]

>They are non-solutions if they cannot pass voter approval.

Then why don't voters just vote themselves higher salaries and better pension plans and higher retirement ages? D'uh! Who cares about economics when you have votes? Worked well for Greece.

>But what are you talking about exactly?

Reducing public welfare according to realistic economic capacity and sustainability of the national budget, and encourage citizens to rely more on private systems and personal responsibility. See Switzerland.

[ivan_gammel]

So, non-solutions, as I said. You refer to a state that is 10 times smaller, has the same demographic problems and over 40% of population with immigration background as a model for Germany, why? Do you seriously believe it can scale to German size? What has it to do with the budget?

[Rinzler89]

I proposed the Swiss system as the solution and welfare reductions according to the budget and you're calling it non-solutions. Why are you being dismissive in Bad faith without any arguments?

The German welfare state will slowly collapse by itself on the long term anyway at this rate since the expenses are growing faster than the income and the only way to save it is to reduce it. Why isn't that a solution? Are you saying math is wrong and can be altered by votes?

[xg15]

You're aware that the Swiss railway is nationalized? Since 1901...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Federal_Railways

[Rinzler89]

What does that have to do with the welfare state I was talking about?

[seethedeaduu]

You are spreading misinfo about what happened in Greece.

[sunaookami]

>low wages in Germany

Don't forget the absurdly high social expenditures and taxes. You only keep like 40% of your money and it's on track to get even worse.

[user90131313]

Yes with no real retirement in the future :) All social benefits and retirements will collapse and %100 not sustainable not only for Germany but for so many nations. Many reason exist already and it just takes longer.

[ivan_gammel]

German welfare state is worth paying it, it just needs to become more efficient. I don’t miss lower taxes I enjoyed in other countries, because I see the difference. And, anyway, high taxes hit upper middle class the most, for majority of population it’s not the biggest concern — rent is.

[Gare]

And now because of German needs eastern and south-easthern EU countries are in even worse position because Germany has hoovered up a decent chunk of skilled younger workforce.

We have started to import unskilled/low skilled laborers from SE Asia en masse to keep the country barely running. But the quality is going downhill yet prices of goods and real estate are soaring.

[Rinzler89]

>and south-easthern EU countries are in even worse position

The economy of Easter Europe has been growing steadily in the last years and skilled immigration tom Germany ahs slowed since the salary/CoL ratio has reduced lately.