1) Germany did not have a minimum wage until recently. They just enacted a minimum wage in 2015. Minimum wage erodes the strength and bargaining power of trade

1) Germany did not have a minimum wage until recently. They just enacted a minimum wage in 2015. Minimum wage erodes the strength and bargaining power of trade unions. Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Sweden do not have a minimum wage but have strong trade unions. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28140594 http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28140594 http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/080515/5-developed-countries-without-minimum-wages.asp http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/080515/5-deve... 2) They have strong apprenticeship programs and vocational training. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apprenticeship#Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apprenticeship#Germany 3) Mittelstand - long-term, focused, and sustainable business culture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittelstand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittelstand http://theconversation.com/the-secret-behind-germanys-thriving-mittelstand-businesses-is-all-in-the-mindset-25452 http://theconversation.com/the-secret-behind-germanys-thrivi...