German Unemployment Called Health Threat

According to a conference of German physicians, the dismal and persistent double-digit unemployment rate in Germany is a health threat. The doctors contend that "unemployment really makes people sick, and results in additional costs for health insurance." A study by the Robert Koch Institute concluded that people without jobs, particularly the long-term unemployed, are at twice the risk of getting seriously ill than people that are employed. The deprivation, instability, and unhealthy lifestyles of the unemployed tend to lead to mental disorders, addictions, heart attacks, accidents, and cancer.

Interestingly, emphasis on the unemployment - ill health relationship comes on the heels of implementation of a government labor market reform called Hartz IV which reduces jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed. Hartz IV is expected to dramatically worsen the situation by giving even less benefits to those that are already suffering deprivation.

To help the situation, the doctors recommended that the socially deprived in society be exempted from having to pay fees for doctors' visits which, by the way, were only recently imposed to encourage cost-consciousness on the part of patients.

In summary, doctors are emphasizing that the high rate of persistent joblessness in Germany is leading to increased health problems and costs. The doctors, however, offer no solutions for the high unemployment problem.