move to Slovakia
NWO drops us a line:
re: reaching non-parity in 30 years
Not that this goes at all towards your post, but I would feel remiss not sharing the rare pice of interesting and good news about Hungary (at least compared to our neighbours):
“Hungary has taken top spot amongst the Visegrád four in exporting high-tech goods.
The International Congress of E-government told MTI-Hungarian News Agency that the proportion of Hungarian hi-tech products coming onto the market had exceeded those in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia over the last 10 years. The rate of growth of hi-tech products forms part of the competitiveness indicator. Hungary’s exports of such goods were worth €12.1 billion in 2006, €2.2 billion more than the previous year. The Czech Republic had exports worth €9.6 billion in the same category in the same year, Poland just €2.7 billion and Slovakia €1.8 billion.
The proportion of the hi-tech sector in industrial production in 2003 reached 19.3% in Hungary compared to 6.9% in the Czech Republic, 6.5% in Poland and 5.1% in Slovakia. The strongest country worldwide from this point of view is Finland, with 25.3%.
The sector monitored by ICEG breaks down as follows: defense equipment, chemical products, electronic machinery, scientific precision instruments, pharmaceuticals, hi-tech communications, computer and IT, air transport equipment and aircraft.
Electronic machinery and telecommunications are the main drivers in the V4, with the exception of the Czech Rep, where computer equipment is the most significant component.”
Having spoken with some economic policy makers in Hungary not so long ago, the irony of this positive development is that it exacerbates the problems with the Hu educational system, and explains in part the very low level of employment in Hungary. There are just relatively less true blue collar, low valued added jobs available in this country as compared with Pol, Slovakia and Romania. This means that the large part of the populace that are poorly educated, illiterate or nearly illiterate cannot find enough jobs here. They should move to Slovakia and take jobs in car manufacturing.
-New World Order
I dunno if NWO meant that last bit in jest or only half-jest. Assuming the latter, all I have to add that the EU’s general labor mobility potential is vastly overrated.
