The Worst is Yet to Come – An Economic Crisis Turning into a Labour Crisis
- 00:05:31
- DW-World
The Worst is Yet to Come – An Economic Crisis Turning into a Labour Crisis
The economic crisis has seen many companies' order books shrinking, and the second half of the year is expected to bring further misery for the job market. An increasing number of firms now feel forced to reduce their workforce while their factories are not at full capacity. The German government has been encouraging firms to introduce reduced working hours in order to save jobs, but now the recession is being felt even in the traditionally prosperous state of Baden-Württemberg. The crucial engineering and carmaking industries have been suffering a massive slump in orders for months now. The idyllic region surrounding the town of Künzelsau is a case in point; within a single month the unemployment rate here shot up from 0.2% to 4.6% - even if this is still far below the national average. An estimated 450,000 jobs may be lost across the country in 2009. Made in Germany visited the southwest of Germany to see how industrial fan manufacturer ebm-papst and packaging specialist Huber – and the IG Metall union are coping. A report by Carmen Meyer .
DW-World | May 12, 2009
