German manufacturing vs. American manufacturing

[killersheep]

Why is German manufacturing in a state of higher productivity and lower unemployment right now compared to American manufacturing?

Germany has higher costs to run a business, taxes are higher, wages are higher, employers are responsible/required to cover more expenses than American owners.

Germany is also has to take the weight of foreign debt on a huge scale.

What is Germany doing differently that's working better?

[Saddo]

Germans are like ants mate.... very VERY organised and hard workers

[killersheep]

Germans are like ants mate.... very VERY organised and hard workers

That explains the productivity side. On the business side however, why not out source? They could certainly save money that way. Why do business owners over there choose to keep work in Germany? Is it just a cultural thing?

[Saddo]

Germans are like ants mate.... very VERY organised and hard workers

That explains the productivity side. On the business side however, why not out source? They could certainly save money that way. Why do business owners over there choose to keep work in Germany? Is it just a cultural thing?

makes sense to me... take the UK importing from china killed the UK... yeah we can all get cheaper shit but all the money is leaving the country where as it used to have a domino effect.

Germany had the best economy in the world before the wall came down and cost them a mint revamping the east, much to the annoyance of the people in the west.... and it sounds like they are pulling it back again... the rest of the world should take note IMHO

that was the main reason i kept a house in germany as i see them getting back to there old way but double the size.

[Scrap]

Great Nation, with Great People. Even though they Bombed our Fish and Chip Shop.

[Master]

There cars are the best BMW and Mercs, Audi, VW Porsche etc

[Andre]

There cars are the best BMW and Mercs, Audi, VW Porsche etc

I would rather a Roller, Bentley, Aston martin or Jag sports any day.

[VictorCharlie]

Killer I think its apples and oranges. There are too many factors when comparing the U.S. to just about any nation. Sure there are things we could emulate that might help but their system works for them b/c its THEIR system. The U.S. can't just co-opt another countries medical, education, manufacturing system and expect similar results.

[killersheep]

Killer I think its apples and oranges. There are too many factors when comparing the U.S. to just about any nation. Sure there are things we could emulate that might help but their system works for them b/c its THEIR system. The U.S. can't just co-opt another countries medical, education, manufacturing system and expect similar results.

Apples to Oranges? Truly in it's essence manufacturing is not that different so no comparison can be made to see the benefits and detriments of each system. Furthermore, something that isn't working can be analyzed vs. what is working to improve an existing system. There are costs of labor, equipment, taxes, employee benefits and logistics. There is money coming in from customers both public and private to pay for all these expenses. It's not a difficult fair comparison to make as both entities (American manufacturers and German manufacturers) are either privately owned or publicly traded. The logic here is not to point out legislative differences (tariffs, min wage etc.) rather cultural choice differences.

Where I'm coming from................................

I've been interviewing people for a few positions at my work and while Arizona used to be a hotbed for microelectronics manufacture I don't know where all the talent has gone. I can't believe the garbage people say in interviews, I really believe that most people think they are above doing work. I have interviewed people that have provided false EE degrees and can't do basic math, shipping people that aren't willing to work over time, floor workers that are unwilling to work before 10 o'clock. It blows my mind that in this time when unemployment is so high and an opportunity is presented noone is excited about it or willing to make the effort for a full time job with benefits, available overtime and profit sharing. We have hired people, that have never shown up a single day. I'm starting to understand why corporations outsource more, it's not just that American labor is expensive, it's that it sucks.

[VictorCharlie]

Killer,

It really is the cultural aspect I was alluding to. American's have became spoiled after 50 years of economic dominance. What probably makes Germany successful in multiple areas is a citizenary that takes their education seriously, works hard and doesn't have an expectation of instant gratification in all things. Somewhere along the line we forgot that even in the most prosperous nation in the world you usually have to work your ass off for what you want. It has ceased to shock me when I meet people that fumbled through highschool, got a useless degree, don't look to excel at whatever job they did find and are schocked that the American dream hasn't just happened for them. Not to go on a tangent but the fact that so many Americans just expect good things to happen for them regardless of their effort makes even more wary of expanded federal programs. Our citizens, corporations and government need a realyl big dose of self accountability.

[Nameless]

Germans tend to be monster in organisation. I lived in Luxembourg for 5 years, this country could give me the opportunity to compare Germany to France and germans to french as I did meet them more or less every single days.
Germans (everything I say is to be taken a sa general rules with, of course, exceptions) are amazingly disciplined and VERY rigorous. Every German that I did meet were almost all speaking french very well or did learn it in a very short and scary frame of time. When you look at their penal code, it is directly represented; There is far less grey zone in their penal code than in the french or english one for instance, these folks have a long long history of organisation and dissecting everything to the root before doing anything. IT is also represented in their language; the german language is so coded that it is much more difficult to make a misinterpretation compared to let's say french or english.

[killersheep]

Killer,

It really is the cultural aspect I was alluding to. American's have became spoiled after 50 years of economic dominance. What probably makes Germany successful in multiple areas is a citizenary that takes their education seriously, works hard and doesn't have an expectation of instant gratification in all things. Somewhere along the line we forgot that even in the most prosperous nation in the world you usually have to work your ass off for what you want. It has ceased to shock me when I meet people that fumbled through highschool, got a useless degree, don't look to excel at whatever job they did find and are schocked that the American dream hasn't just happened for them. Not to go on a tangent but the fact that so many Americans just expect good things to happen for them regardless of their effort makes even more wary of expanded federal programs. Our citizens, corporations and government need a realyl big dose of self accountability.

Man that is a sad state of affairs, I wish you were wrong, but it's absolutely true. It's really sad, I see this lack of interest and sense of entitlement from people even in their 60's that's how embedded in our culture this is. My plan to own my own island seems more and more attractive every day.