No, the Greeks Aren’t Lazy. The Germans Are.
A lot of people out there seem to have the notion that Greece’s troubles are the result of laziness.
That really doesn’t seem to be true. OECD:
Average annual hours actually worked per worker 2000-2010
Germany |
1473 | 1458 | 1445 | 1439 | 1442 | 1434 | 1430 | 1430 | 1426 | 1390 | 1419 | |
| Greece |
|
2121 | 2121 | 2109 | 2103 | 2082 | 2086 | 2148 | 2115 | 2116 | 2119 | 2109 |
And no, labor force participation is not wildly different: 55% in Greece, 60% in Germany.
To quote my friend Katherine: “It’s those goddam hyper-efficient Germans with their ‘work smart not hard’ screwing things up for the rest of us.”
Tongue in cheek there, of course, but it does seem to be German productivity in a single-currency regime that makes it impossible for Greek banks to stay solvent.
And it’s not that Greek bankers, politicians, or workers are lazy. No matter how hard they work, the financial system doesn’t seem to make it possible for them to live a lifestyle in which they crush their grapes with their childrens’ feet. No matter how much they want the “liberty” to live that lifestyle.
Cross-posted at Asymptosis.
It actually takes initiative, planning, inventiveness to be efficient and productive. So yes this actually does prove the Greek’s are lazy (or just plain incompetant), becuase they are not putting in efforts to become better at doing things. Their governmnet is woefully inefficient, and stinks at providing services.
Steve, those Greek numbers are absurd. I remember how hard it was to work–actually work–over 2000 hours a year. People do not do that on any scale, and most people cannot do that for very many years.
Steve:
As Tom Walker and perhaps the economist Chapman might suggest from looking at hours worked and particiation rate in Germany, they are putting more of the population to work by having the workers work fewer hours. Hard to say much without more data and research. It is a fact, the German workers have contracts which are renewed and they have large amounts of time off.
Germans are great at everything, right? they have the world by the balls, I guess God must have them superior, there is no other explanation. Didn’t they want to take over the entire world some time ago until everyone kicked their butts in 2 world wars? They are a peace loving humanitarian bunch that knows what’s best for everyone. We should be greatful and bow down to them for allowing us to have them take care of us and coexist with them.
Ehm… wow… useless. Take a look at a real rsearch: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17155304
Hey Cris K Jul!!
I guess throwing the world war II card at Germans is the solution for everything!!Guess what most people who participated in WW2 are dead now!!
Post CommentWell the world works like that be competitive, smart and innovative and have a high living standard or develop into a third world country.
Thats the way it goes. If you dont like it you should move to another planet.