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Germany has a strong labor force, and their economy is one of the best in the world. It is 100% possible.

SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
I don't think this has much to do with a manufacturing economy. On a per capita basis, the US is competitive with or even ahead of Germany (depending on which statistics you believe) on manufacturing output.
- nicbou 6y ago
  Then again, America has a giant, English-speaking market right at hand. The relatively new EU is comparable, but it's new, and not quite equivalent.
georgeplusplus 6y ago
Germany’s economy has a negative interest rate on their Bond yields. That isnt the sign of a healthy and strong economy.
adventured 6y ago
If Germany's economy is one of the best, why is their median net wealth lower than the US and why hasn't the German economy net expanded since 2007-2008? The US median adult wealth figure is now 85% higher than Germany's figure, and the US figure is nothing spectacular. If Germany's labor position is so great, why are their workers so relatively poor? People constantly applaud Germany for their supposedly great labor protections and unions. So where's the wealth? Germany's median wealth per adult is below that of Greece. Let that sink in for a moment. It's 1/2 that of South Korea. It's nearly 1/3 that of France. For 2019 Germany's GDP was $3.84 trillion. In 2008 it was $3.73 trillion. Inflation adjusted, Germany's economy contracted by at least 1/4 in a mere 11 years. That's a vanishing economy, and that's all pre-Covid. A decade plus with zero net growth is one of the best economies in the world? No it's not, it's a contracting economy with no wealth creation occurring and an impending assault by China on their high value manufacturing. Germany is standing in a very bad spot. Whether they realize that yet or not is another matter. Here's the next 20 years for the German economy: China will take a giant chunk out of their high value manufacturing export machine. The average German will have to work a lot more hours just to stand still, while they attempt to retire with very little savings at the median ($35k isn't going to cut it). The industrial hollowing out that Germany will suffer, is one that the US has already gone through, and it's a brutal thing for a society to endure, especially starting from a position of a terrible median wealth figure and an economy that is contracting persistently. Those super low hours per week that they've been enjoying? They've been trading on their future and haven't been generating enough wealth to sustain against what's coming for them.

I don't think this has much to do with a manufacturing economy. On a per capita basis, the US is competitive with or even ahead of Germany (depending on which statistics you believe) on manufacturing output.

nicbou 6y ago
Then again, America has a giant, English-speaking market right at hand. The relatively new EU is comparable, but it's new, and not quite equivalent.

georgeplusplus 6y ago

Germany’s economy has a negative interest rate on their Bond yields. That isnt the sign of a healthy and strong economy.

adventured 6y ago

If Germany's economy is one of the best, why is their median net wealth lower than the US and why hasn't the German economy net expanded since 2007-2008? The US median adult wealth figure is now 85% higher than Germany's figure, and the US figure is nothing spectacular. If Germany's labor position is so great, why are their workers so relatively poor? People constantly applaud Germany for their supposedly great labor protections and unions. So where's the wealth? Germany's median wealth per adult is below that of Greece. Let that sink in for a moment. It's 1/2 that of South Korea. It's nearly 1/3 that of France. For 2019 Germany's GDP was $3.84 trillion. In 2008 it was $3.73 trillion. Inflation adjusted, Germany's economy contracted by at least 1/4 in a mere 11 years. That's a vanishing economy, and that's all pre-Covid. A decade plus with zero net growth is one of the best economies in the world? No it's not, it's a contracting economy with no wealth creation occurring and an impending assault by China on their high value manufacturing. Germany is standing in a very bad spot. Whether they realize that yet or not is another matter. Here's the next 20 years for the German economy: China will take a giant chunk out of their high value manufacturing export machine. The average German will have to work a lot more hours just to stand still, while they attempt to retire with very little savings at the median ($35k isn't going to cut it). The industrial hollowing out that Germany will suffer, is one that the US has already gone through, and it's a brutal thing for a society to endure, especially starting from a position of a terrible median wealth figure and an economy that is contracting persistently. Those super low hours per week that they've been enjoying? They've been trading on their future and haven't been generating enough wealth to sustain against what's coming for them.