Germany’s latest unemployment figures were released last week: 4.36 million unemployed, 126,500 more than in June, and 6700 more than in July 2003. The rate rose 0.3 percent to 10.5 percent for the country as a whole; 8.4 percent in the west and 18.5 in the east.
A local Berlin paper, whose search page appears not to speak Netscape, provided a chart of the rates in both the capital and the surrounding territory of Brandenburg. It’s sobering.
Berlin: 17.7%
Mitte: 21.1%
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg: 22.5%
Pankow: 16.1%
Lichtenberg: 17.8%
Marzahn-Hellersdorf: 19.4%
Treptow-Koepenick: 14.4%
Neukoelln: 23.2%
Tempelhof-Schoeneberg: 16.8%
Steglitz-Zehlendorf: 11.2%
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf: 15.8%
Spandau: 18.9%
Reinickendorf: 14.7%
Brandenburg: 18.9%
Uckermark: 25.1%
Barnim: 17.9%
Maerkisch-Oderland: 19.7%
Frankfurt/Oder: 21.1%
Oder-Spree: 18.7%
Cottbus: 20.3%
Spree-Neisse: 21.8%
Oberspreewald-Lausitz: 25.2%
Dahme-Spreewald: 14.9%
Elbe-Elster: 23.1%
Teltow-Flaeming: 15.1%
Potsdam-Mittelmark: 13.0%
Potsdam: 12.6%
Brandenburg/H.: 21.0%
Havelland: 18.9%
Oberhavel: 17.9%
Ostprignitz-Ruppin: 20.5%
Prignitz: 21.8%
Sure, it’s sobering, as is the Eastern (2003) average with 18,5% (all numbers German definition). But more than anything, these numbers indicate that a national statistical average for Germany doesn’t really reveal anything… unemployment rises from the South to the West to the North to the East.
Here’s the official statistic, broken down by state/Bundesland. In former West Germany, the unemployment rate has been rising, too, in recent years, but it is still at a comparatively “low” 8.4 % for 2003 up from 7.2% in 2001. And that was with all the incentive distorting labout market regulations on the books back then. At least in the West there is a good chance to increase the situation by implementing Hartz IV…
http://www.statistik-portal.de/Statistik-Portal/de_jb02_jahrtab13.asp
But look on the bright side! At least you didn’t help to liberate Iraq with the Cowboy Capitalists!