Mighty Germany Leans on Troubled Neighbors

Greece may be threatening to destroy the euro and the European Union, but mighty Germany still could really use a hand from the beleaguered country, reports the AP. With just a 6.6% unemployment rate—Germany's lowest in 20 years—and an aging population, Germany needs at least 12,000 additional doctors, 80,000 engineers, 66,000 IT specialists. To bridge that chasm, Berlin must turn to high-unemployment neighbors, such as Greece, Spain, and Portugal.

The German government has taken to arranging international job-hunting sessions for many of its country's companies and passed legislation to recognize more foreign degrees and qualifications, helping immigration to Germany shoot up 13% over the past five years. "About 80% of my friends are looking for jobs abroad and many of them want to go to Germany," said one Barcelona native who signed a contract with a chemical company in Munich. "We can learn a lot there and salaries are also higher." (More Germany stories.)