World News and Trends: Germany faces jobs crisis
Unemployment in Germany has risen to the highest level since World War II, according to figures released by the government, triggering warnings of possible strikes and other social upheavals from opposition leaders and economists.
According to some, the job crisis in Europe is the worst since the 1930s.
The German government's report offered scant optimism that the situation will improve soon. Germany's high labor costs and expensive social programs, some of the most costly in the world, have hindered the country's competitiveness against other nations in a global economy.
Much of the country's economic turmoil can be traced to the unification of East and West Germany. In the former West Germany, burdensome taxes have slowed investments, hindering the introduction of technological advances. In the east the $700 billion transferred from the west has helped rebuild a crumbling infrastructure but hasn't generated jobs. In some regions up to half of the workforce is idle.
Further souring the public mood are austerity measures intended to cut state deficits and satisfy requirements for a common European currency (the euro) by 1999. Germans increasingly dislike the notion of surrendering the Deutschmark to embrace an untested European currency. Recent surveys show that only 31 percent favor the new currency, and most fear an erosion of their living standard under the new economic system.
The head of the federal labor office, Bernhard Jagoda, sees no signs of imminent improvement ahead. He estimates that the number of unemployed workers at near 4.5 million and growing—some 11 percent of the work force. (Source: The Washington Post.)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: May - June 1997
Course Content
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
