Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have never heard of anyone in Scandinavia complain about taxes because they actually get tremendous value from their taxes.
I am going to be your first. I come from Norway, the country with the lowest taxes in Scandiavia and the best welfare. In Norway I earned average salary, first my employer pays 14%, then I need to pay 30%, and then I need to pay 25% on everything I buy. In addition, there are very high taxes on cars, so I couldn't afford a car when I lived in Norway.
What did I get in return, almost nothing. I graduated under the oil crisis, so I was unemployed for some months, Like many other Norwegians I didn't qualify for unemployment and got zero help. Eventually I found myself an unpaid internship, which had to be kept secret because the unions do not allow it. They didn't really treat me nice, but at least they gave me a nice recommendation which I used to get a real job. Another annoyance is that tasks that should take 1-2 days take several months because of lines.
Some things are nice though, health care is almost free and decent, students get loans and grants, we have maternity leave and cheap kindergarden.
I am going to be your first. I come from Norway, the country with the lowest taxes in Scandiavia and the best welfare. In Norway I earned average salary, first my employer pays 14%, then I need to pay 30%, and then I need to pay 25% on everything I buy. In addition, there are very high taxes on cars, so I couldn't afford a car when I lived in Norway.
What did I get in return, almost nothing. I graduated under the oil crisis, so I was unemployed for some months, Like many other Norwegians I didn't qualify for unemployment and got zero help. Eventually I found myself an unpaid internship, which had to be kept secret because the unions do not allow it. They didn't really treat me nice, but at least they gave me a nice recommendation which I used to get a real job. Another annoyance is that tasks that should take 1-2 days take several months because of lines.
Some things are nice though, health care is almost free and decent, students get loans and grants, we have maternity leave and cheap kindergarden.
I thought that people were covered under a generous welfare system if you were looking for work but being dealt harshly with in job selection? If you are Norwegian and the people in the internship were Norwegian why would they treat you harshly?
I thought the govt had robust jobs programs? So you can actually still be shut out by employers and find yourself on the streets just like the USA?
I thought that people were covered under a generous welfare system if you were looking for work but being dealt harshly with in job selection? If you are Norwegian and the people in the internship were Norwegian why would they treat you harshly?
I thought the govt had robust jobs programs? So you can actually still be shut out by employers and find yourself on the streets just like the USA?
Scandinavians have been trained to think their countries are the best in the world, they love to boost about their countries, and they don't like people who criticize the system. I also try not to criticize Norway in front of Norwegians, because it leads to negative reactions. So even if you say something that is wrong, but is positive for Norway, they probably won't correct you because they want everyone to think their country is great.
Norway is not as generous as you have led to believe. If you need welfare, you need to go to nav.no and send in the documents. The systems are quite impersonal, rigid and slow. You won't get much help, but you can get money if you qualify. My problem was, college graduates do not qualify for unemployement. By having strict rules for unemployment, then they can keep the unemployment rate down and push unemployed on other types of benefits.
A lot foreigners think the bad treatment they get is because of racism, but it is actually how Norwegians treat eachother. They don't treat people they don't care about very well. Being Norwegian doesn't prevent you from being treated harshly. I was not a proper employee, they were busy and didn't care about me. For instance they asked me to stay longer so I could finish the app. They said they were going to pay me $6000. But in the end they only paid me $2300 due to "budget problems".
Norway do not have a job program at all, you will need to find work yourself. However, unlike the USA, if you are totally broke you will not end up on the street, since NAV has to find them a place to sleep. EU migrants do not qualify, so we can see them lining up each night to secure a bed. Also, if you end up on the street on a friday night, then you need to wait till NAV opens up monday morning.
Scandinavians have been trained to think their countries are the best in the world, they love to boost about their countries, and they don't like people who criticize the system. I also try not to criticize Norway in front of Norwegians, because it leads to negative reactions. So even if you say something that is wrong, but is positive for Norway, they probably won't correct you because they want everyone to think their country is great.
Norway is not as generous as you have led to believe. If you need welfare, you need to go to nav.no and send in the documents. The systems are quite impersonal, rigid and slow. You won't get much help, but you can get money if you qualify. My problem was, college graduates do not qualify for unemployement. By having strict rules for unemployment, then they can keep the unemployment rate down and push unemployed on other types of benefits.
A lot foreigners think the bad treatment they get is because of racism, but it is actually how Norwegians treat eachother. They don't treat people they don't care about very well. Being Norwegian doesn't prevent you from being treated harshly. I was not a proper employee, they were busy and didn't care about me. For instance they asked me to stay longer so I could finish the app. They said they were going to pay me $6000. But in the end they only paid me $2300 due to "budget problems".
Norway do not have a job program at all, you will need to find work yourself. However, unlike the USA, if you are totally broke you will not end up on the street, since NAV has to find them a place to sleep. EU migrants do not qualify, so we can see them lining up each night to secure a bed. Also, if you end up on the street on a friday night, then you need to wait till NAV opens up monday morning.
So do you have immigrants dying frequently from exposure due to their inability to get shelter? I never would have thought Norwegians treated each other so poorly with how much you hear about Norway.
So do you have immigrants dying frequently from exposure due to their inability to get shelter? I never would have thought Norwegians treated each other so poorly with how much you hear about Norway.
I don't know, the media is ignoring the problem. A lot of them are part of organized begging groups, so they don't get much sympathy.
Sometimes they set up camps, and then the police come and tear it down.
Yes, but they also make WAY more and have massive social safety nets so you get a lot for your taxes. The biggest being that its nearly impossible to get laid off. The biggest risk to people in the USA is job loss and/or being economically forced into taking a McJob as a highly skilled person. Plus the time off. Because of their protections and safety nets, they don't have to work like dogs when they are at work either.
I have never heard of anyone in Scandinavia complain about taxes because they actually get tremendous value from their taxes.
Yeah what a great system! Can’t ever fire anyone for anything, employees barely have to work, gosh I wonder why more businesses aren’t just clamoring to open shop in one of those places?! It seems crazy. So much innovation has come from there and so many great businesses. Oh... wait. No. Sorry, they’re actually all much worse off than they were before these socialist idiocies took effect for anyone who does the research. No thanks to a nanny state, I’m not a child. I like to KEEP my money and I’ll decide what to do with it! You know, since it’s mine.
You will find a 70% variation by state then look into those drivers of volatility. Then compare the price of gas across countries you add in FX, tariffs, quotas, VAT, etc...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
