Weekend Economists Merry Little Christmas December 23-26, 2011

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52. Spaniards head to Germany in droves to escape grip of crisis back home

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/Spaniards/head/to/Germany/in/droves/to/escape/grip/of/crisis/back/elpepueng/20111223elpeng_6/Ten

The persistent rise in Spain's unemployment rate is pushing more workers into seeking employment abroad. A favorite destination these days is Germany, which boasts historically low jobless figures and nearly three percent growth despite the economic crisis. This is the reason why 2,400 Spaniards packed their bags between January and June and took a flight out to the European powerhouse.

This number represents a 49 percent rise compared with the same period last year, according to data released by Germany's federal department of statistics. The agency attributes this returning phenomenon ? Spanish migration to Germany was markedly strong in the 1960s ? to the euro-zone crisis and the economic downturn in European Union peripheral countries.

For that same reason, there has also been a sharp rise in Greek immigration to Germany, although Greece formally has less unemployment than Spain: 18 percent, versus 22 percent here. Nevertheless, Greek migration to Germany grew 84 percent in the first half.

It is likely that Spanish arrivals will continue to grow in the near future thanks to recruiting campaigns carried out here over the summer by German chambers of commerce with the goal of finding young engineers. German Chancellor Angela Merkel herself said that one of the most industrially advanced powers in the world will need around 100,000 graduates in this field to make up for an ageing population over the next decade.