German Jobless Rate Sets New Record

Let's see, French jobless rate at 10%' now German unemployment at a record 12.6%. Looks like the oh so commiserate egalitarian utopias may not be so compassionate after all.

German jobless rate at new record More than 5.2 million Germans were out of
work in February, new figures show.

The figure of 5.216 million people, or 12.6% of the working-age population, is
the highest jobless rate in Europe's biggest economy since the 1930s.

The news comes as the head of Germany's panel of government economic advisers
predicted growth would again stagnate.

Speaking on German TV, Bert Ruerup said the panel's earlier forecast of 1.4% was
too optimistic and warned growth would be just 1% in 2005.