Why is the unemployment rate so high in some European countries?

Is it because wages are too high, demand is too low or the labor market is not flexible enough?

Why is the unemployment rate so high in some European countries?credit repair

high mininum wage and employer-side taxes,

low supply of labor b/c of high welfare

inflexible market - it is very hard and expensive to fire somebody, so firms are less likely to hire people. (they use illegal immigrant labor or temporary workers)

Why is the unemployment rate so high in some European countries?

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It is improving In ireland we are now reaching no 1 in the world|||I am currently in Bulgaria, living in a farming comunity, before the regime change some 12-15 years ago, everything was produced to order, sent to the respective market as ordered and pittences were paid, now markets are demand driven, prices have not changed much be (nearly) free medical, telephone and everything else has to be paid for. It will take at least one generation to change things. Land prices are extremely low and a snip for those young farmers in UK who cant afford to buy their own farm!|||Its cheaper to be on the dole than to look for job|||my guess is they have a policy similar to france where you can%26#039;t fire employees that fit a certain age bracket no matter what they do. So employers are paranoid on who they hire. Plus European countries tax the hell out of their citizens and that means employers have to pay more tax. Employers have to match the tax amount their employees pay therefore some businesses dont hire as much/as many to keep budget with their business|||You are correct. The unemployment rate in certain European countries is high because of all these reasons: relatively inflexible labor markets, labor participation in company management, participation of lending banks in management, and gnerally interfering socialitic flavor govts wooing workers for votes to get elected to power. Once you have such a political regime in operation, you will tend to have higher wages, bar on lay-offs and lower economic growth below the country%26#039;s potential. This will automatically mean higher unemployment for the new and partime entrants to the labor force. More sich industries that would stumble.|||The highest unemployment rates can be found in former communist east european countries, so it%26#039;s a mostly question of transforming from communism to capitalism.As for the rest, it depends.I wouldn%26#039;t blame it on high wages ( a number of european companies have had record profits in the last years) or a job market thats too inflexible (if there are no jobs available, it doesn%26#039;t matter how flexible you are).The education system plays a certain role, most european countries have to many liberal arts students and too few in engineering.The vast majority of unemployed in western europe are lowly educated, often immigrants, without job training.