[Riesling]

> On top of this, it just makes it more difficult for anyone in their dorm room to start a business. It's not a coincidence that the startup scene is nearly non-existent where unions have a strong presence (France, Sweden, Denmark, Norway).

As someone from a country with stronger unions, I would like to propose a different interpretation. As a result of a strong union culture, regular jobs are just too comfortable to consider doing a startup. A startup is a very risky venture where most founders have to work at their utmost limits. I am sure many startups have been created out of a dissatisfaction with the circumstances of the former employment.

In contrast, many jobs in unionized countries pay fair wages, force you to take 30 or more days of vacation and respect your work-life balance. Nowadays you also get a lot of time off, if you become a father or mother.

Would you give up all those things, just to try something that has a 80 percent (or more) failure rate? I know this is a forum for entrepreneurs, so most people would. But a job you are really satisfied with, makes this decision a lot harder.