Despite an unemployment level of 10.8 per cent of the active population, there is one area where the rest of Europe could learn from Germany: youth employment. In Britain, the figure is roughly 15.7 per cent, in this State, 16.2 per cent. In France, over a quarter of under 25-year-olds are looking for work. In Spain, the figure is approaching 37 per cent. In Germany, the rate is 10.4 per cent.
Why such a difference?
According to the publication Social Europe, there are a number of factors which explain German employers' willingness to take on young workers. Significantly, trade unions play an important role.
The insistence of works councils that companies take on a minimum number of youth apprentices, rather than simply concentrate on securing the maximum level of pay and conditions for the existing work force, is crucial. It prevents existing employees from obtaining a disproportionate amount of power. Furthermore, the unions see the importance of co-operating with employers. In exchange for reasonable levels of employment stability and wages, the unions insist upon the satisfactory performance of their workers.