First World Countries with (relatively) Free Markets AND good Work-Life Balance (vacation, donations)

[ragnarkar]

Which countries out best meet the following criteria (in order of importance)?

1) First World Country

2) Relatively free markets

3) Excellent work-life balance

[theunbrainwashed]

Australia, maybe New Zealand

[irish_bob]

australia immedietly springs to mind

[Retroit]

Your 3rd criteria is too subjective. What may be the right balance for you might not be for others. But this answers you 2nd (and by inference your 1st criteria): Economic Freedom by Country

[BIMBAM]

Canada, high economic freedom by any measure, work life balance is pretty decent.

[theunbrainwashed]

Originally Posted by BIMBAM

Canada, high economic freedom by any measure, work life balance is pretty decent.

Compared to other developed countries, Canada doesn't offer much of a work-life balance as far as I know. I believe in Canada average vacation time for starting employees is 2-3 weeks? While in the EU, 4 weeks is average and I believe it's the same in Australia.

[BigCityDreamer]

The U.S., if you work for the federal government.

[britinparis]

Australia, New Zealand, most of northern Europe excluding the UK, France..

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by Retroit

But this answers you 2nd (and by inference your 1st criteria): Economic Freedom by Country

I don't think I would be inclined to consider as objective anything fed to me by the Heritage Foundation or the Wall Street Journal. In fact, the Heritage Foundation has even admitted that the reason the USA is so low is because of high "government spending", which they automatically and arbitrarily apply to depressing the score. In effect, if the USA were to give foreign aid to any country, they would automatically drop down the scale in "economic freedom" because that money would all be "government spending", unless it were in the form of donations to private corporations in that country.

[Stateisota]

Switzerland if you can get a VISA.

Germany and Austria are pretty good too. (Again getting a VISA is an issue)