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I thought you guys enjoy 4 or even 5 weeks mandatory holidays, stronger union culture compared to the US, etc...
The US has no federal mandatory holidays, Canada has 2 weeks.
Yes four weeks holidays is the norm but parts of Europe get five weeks or more. My daughters certainly got more leave when they were working in London.
Union membership is declining as it is in many countries. Currently about 14% of workers are union members and it is under 10% in the private sector. It is many years since we have had many strikes.
Public schools in NSW teach 201 or 202 days a year, a lot longer than in many countries. The long summer vacation is around 6 weeks and included in that are four public holidays. There are shorter holidays during the year.
These days the summer shutdown tends to last for two or three weeks over Christmas and New Year. Those in my family are off this year from December 22nd til January 8th. Grandparents are very often busy covering vacation care until school then resumes, this year on January 30th in NSW.
Having said that, we have good universal health care, strict gun control laws, a targeted immigration system and relatively low unemployment.
Every developed country has its pluses and minuses.
Yes four weeks holidays is the norm but parts of Europe get five weeks or more. My daughters certainly got more leave when they were working in London.
Union membership is declining as it is in many countries. Currently about 14% of workers are union members and it is under 10% in the private sector. It is many years since we have had many strikes.
Public schools in NSW teach 201 or 202 days a year, a lot longer than in many countries. The long summer vacation is around 6 weeks and included in that are four public holidays. There are shorter holidays during the year.
These days the summer shutdown tends to last for two or three weeks over Christmas and New Year. Those in my family are off this year from December 22nd til January 8th. Grandparents are very often busy covering vacation care until school then resumes, this year on January 30th in NSW.
Having said that, we have good universal health care, strict gun control laws, a targeted immigration system and relatively low unemployment.
Every developed country has its pluses and minuses.
Compared to the US or even Canada, Australia is more worker friendly. I also believe that Australia has one of the best managed immigration system in the world...fair but very strict at the same time. I said several times to some of my fellow, progressive Americans that Australians would be appalled at the concept that authorities could not check your immigration status as these people think should be the case here (and often is with the so called sanctuary cities)
I would say there are 2 different types of categories:
1) Best countries to live and work in
2) Best countries to live if you are wealthy or retired with a fixed income and don't depend on the local economy
Countries like Canada, Japan and UK for example, I believe are top countries for category 1.
Countries like Chile, Spain, & Thailand are good for Category 2.
The 2 countries that come to mind that work for both categories are the USA & France.
Compared to the US or even Canada, Australia is more worker friendly. I also believe that Australia has one of the best managed immigration system in the world...fair but very strict at the same time. I said several times to some of my fellow, progressive Americans that Australians would be appalled at the concept that authorities could not check your immigration status as these people think should be the case here (and often is with the so called sanctuary cities)
Forcing people to take mandatory English exams despite having studied in an Australian University or any foreign institution using English as the language of instruction is not very bright. I can’t tell you how many of my friends get annoyed at that fact.
Maybe in 1998, but since we're approaching 2018, in my opinion: UAE/Dubai, Japan, Israel, Greece. Maybe Hong Kong too...
This should be what most people should pick (if they have enough and accurate information), my opinion will be the same though I'd add eastern european countries and consider dubai slightly gettind de mode.
Japan is not an easy place to settle down because of its language but other than that, it should be an attractive place to live in.
Working in Japan is hell.
You are a woman, forget children or your professional life is finished.
You are a man, well you better love your firm/ management .
I mean there's a middle between France that does nothing and Japan.
Japan is a tough country to live in... But as a tourist, it's marvelous
Not for quality of life. USA hardly ranks at all. As someone who was born and raised here, it's really not such a great place to be any more. If your life is work--and you have a good job it's ok. But the COL is way ahead of wages, the gun violence is awful, and the political climate is pretty horrendous. I have a great job, but as soon as I can--I'm leaving for a country with a better quality of life.
Americans are a pretty miserable bunch these days.
There are big negatives to living in the US (terrible health care and gun violence for example), but the COL is really good in the US compared to virtually all of the most developed parts of Europe. A small place in freaking Brussels, which is known for being gritty/dirty/less desirable, can run you nearly 800k euros now. That's on top of $6 gallon gas and very expensive food prices.
Yes, the cost for living in places like SF/NYC/LA etc grab the headlines, but for what 800k euros gets you in Brussels you could by a huge mansion with many acres in places like GA, SC, TX or many other mid-west states. The weather is also much better in many parts than Canada. Americans are always negative, but what they take for granted are things like the US' very stable food supply and safety (the US has vast amounts of very good land for agriculture and produces massive amounts of food, so much so that many countries with food security problems are almost entirely dependent on our corn belt), potable water everywhere, well controlled pharmaceutics, very low unemployment compared to many parts of Europe, and a GDP per capita that exceeds most European countries (which is amazing since we are so much bigger). Yes, the US ain't perfect and has negatives just like every other country, but overall things cost a lot less in the US compared to a lot of the places in this discussion, plus Americans tend to have a higher median income.
There are big negatives to living in the US (terrible health care and gun violence for example), but the COL is really good in the US compared to virtually all of the most developed parts of Europe. A small place in freaking Brussels, which is known for being gritty/dirty/less desirable, can run you nearly 800k euros now. That's on top of $6 gallon gas and very expensive food prices.
Yes, the cost for living in places like SF/NYC/LA etc grab the headlines, but for what 800k euros gets you in Brussels you could by a huge mansion with many acres in places like GA, SC, TX or many other mid-west states. The weather is also much better in many parts than Canada. Americans are always negative, but what they take for granted are things like the US' very stable food supply and safety (the US has vast amounts of very good land for agriculture and produces massive amounts of food, so much so that many countries with food security problems are almost entirely dependent on our corn belt), potable water everywhere, well controlled pharmaceutics, very low unemployment compared to many parts of Europe, and a GDP per capita that exceeds most European countries (which is amazing since we are so much bigger). Yes, the US ain't perfect and has negatives just like every other country, but overall things cost a lot less in the US compared to a lot of the places in this discussion, plus Americans tend to have a higher median income.
Speaking of COL, did you just compare Brussels with GA, SC or TX? I mean, are you serious? Brussels at least is comparable to Washington DC in terms of power and wealth. And how cheap is DC?
While SF,NY and LA often grab headlines, it is the same with Europe - it is Paris, London and Rome that Americans mostly know about. In many smaller cities, housing can be much cheaper as well. If you want a large house in the suburbs like you do in the US, you have that option, and it won't be nearly as expensive as Paris.
Then talk about rent. Rent in the US is insanely high, and that's not just in NY/Boston/SF, but in smaller cities as well. If you look at European cities such as Berlin or Madrid, it is considerably lower.
Yes, Europeans pay 6$ per gallon gas, but they enjoy excellent subways, trams and train system, which often makes driving unnecessary. And dont forget your low gas price is heavily subsidized by the government, which is paid by taxpayers yourself too anyway.
Don't mention GDP per capita as if they represent true wealth. That is very misleading and I stop looking at them in comparing developed nations. They make Kentucky or Mississippi a rich place even in W Europe, but when you really compare the quality of life, the infrastructure, the services, you know that can't be the case. So drop it.
While it is true that COL in the US is lower compared with Europe on the surface, the reality is much more complicated. For example the spanish and the French don't have to carry their student loans till their forties, no $65000 a year for top universities, or half a million dollar just to go to medical school, and they essentially do not have to worry about healthcare costs in case of major sickness at all. They also enjoy cheap day care, parental leaves, longer vacations (6 weeks instead of 6 days) and much more. It is hard to compare apple to apple, although it is very easy to jump to the conclusion that Americans make more and COL is lower as if life there is vastly better - that's far from what people really face in life.
Speaking of COL, did you just compare Brussels with GA, SC or TX? I mean, are you serious? Brussels at least is comparable to Washington DC in terms of power and wealth. And how cheap is DC?
While SF,NY and LA often grab headlines, it is the same with Europe - it is Paris, London and Rome that Americans mostly know about. In many smaller cities, housing can be much cheaper as well. If you want a large house in the suburbs like you do in the US, you have that option, and it won't be nearly as expensive as Paris.
Then talk about rent. Rent in the US is insanely high, and that's not just in NY/Boston/SF, but in smaller cities as well. If you look at European cities such as Berlin or Madrid, it is considerably lower.
Yes, Europeans pay 6$ per gallon gas, but they enjoy excellent subways, trams and train system, which often makes driving unnecessary. And dont forget your low gas price is heavily subsidized by the government, which is paid by taxpayers yourself too anyway.
Don't mention GDP per capita as if they represent true wealth. That is very misleading and I stop looking at them in comparing developed nations. They make Kentucky or Mississippi a rich place even in W Europe, but when you really compare the quality of life, the infrastructure, the services, you know that can't be the case. So drop it.
While it is true that COL in the US is lower compared with Europe on the surface, the reality is much more complicated. For example the spanish and the French don't have to carry their student loans till their forties, no $65000 a year for top universities, or half a million dollar just to go to medical school, and they essentially do not have to worry about healthcare costs in case of major sickness at all. They also enjoy cheap day care, parental leaves, longer vacations (6 weeks instead of 6 days) and much more. It is hard to compare apple to apple, although it is very easy to jump to the conclusion that Americans make more and COL is lower as if life there is vastly better - that's far from what people really face in life.
I don't agree that Brussels compares to DC in power or wealth but it is overall much cheaper to live. However, DC average disposable income is almost double what it is in Brussels.
How is low gas prices subsidized by our government? Actually they charge a significant tax though far less than what they charge in Europe.
I just spent 2 weeks in London in the financial district and it was not as expensive as I was expecting and Underground or Uber travel (while it's still going) is a bargain. Overall cost is comparable to DC but again, the average income is much lower in London than DC.
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