Originally Posted by Tracym

Well if she is unhappy here, then I sympathise with her.

Some times are difficult for ppl, I hope we'll give her a break here. Please.

Originally Posted by AmerLisa

I agree....

Originally Posted by ugacrew

I'm not an immigrant but I can understand where she's coming from. The whole issue about being in a place where you don't want to be. Circumstances out of your control making it impossible to do what your heart wants desperately to do to remedy the situation. I'm somewhat in that situation myself but not to the degree that Elvira is. I feel for the lady.

Originally Posted by Elvira

Guys, gals.......... this thread isn't about me!

I posted the report because I felt it would be of interest to expats in the US and some of the dozens or so people we get asking about immigration every single day.

I had personal reasons for not being able to engage in the subsequent......... discussion.

And I am really not as unhappy here as some of you think. I have good periods, and not so good ones, although it is true to say that I am often homesick. I am doing the best I can!

But really, could you either focus on the issues, or just let this thread die...

Ta muchly!

Originally Posted by Fonseca33

The UK is fair, because as a state, it would rank just below Alabama in terms of real GDP/capita, which is essentially a broad measure of economic activity. The whole US is above the UK ($46k vs. $35k), and many states that people consider poor (Alabama, Tenn., Georgia, South Carolina) are actually above the UK in this figure, which is pretty funny. Source: IMF APRIL 2008. For state stats, I have the BLS as a source. I have all the sources here if anybody needs it.

USA's poorest state is well above Portugal, and is actually right below Italy, in terms of GDP per capita (PPP).

Originally Posted by Fonseca33

That is a factor, but there are others. Another factor is that there are simply not as many jobs available. My cousin in Spain is thinking of coming here because in Spain there are few engineering jobs in her field, and in the US there is great demand and much higher pay. Another factor hurting European workers is wage inflexibility. In the United States, wage growth is depressed in recessions. When wage growth slows, the number of workers hired increases. Wages tend to be more rigid in Europe, where they are often set by union bargaining with an entire industry. As a result, wage growth does not slow when labor is in surplus, thus limiting the demand for additional workers. Finally, no discussion of European unemployment is complete without mentioning employment protection. Europeans dislike layoffs, and they make it very costly for companies to dismiss workers. The result is actually harmful to the unemployed. Because it is so expensive for a company to terminate an employee, firms are very hesitant to hire workers in the first place.

Originally Posted by Titchski

but no ones mentioned boobs, bread or bacon yet? At least I don't think so anyway. It can't die until thats happened surely?

Originally Posted by Steerpike

I stated something similar in a response to another thread, but I think it's applicable here too. It's almost unfair to compare, say, UK, to the USA. If not unfair, then at least, not very meaningful. The USA should be compared to something more along the lines of Europe. In Europe, you have poor countries (eg, Portugal) and rich countries (eg, Germany), and the range is wide. Similarly, in the US, you have poor areas (eg, the Appalachians of West Virginia and Tennessee) and rich areas such as the Northeast and the cities of the West Coast.

The chronic state of healthcare in this country is a nationwide embarrassment, however, for those without insurance.

Originally Posted by Fonseca33

The UK is fair, because as a state, it would rank just below Alabama in terms of real GDP/capita, which is essentially a broad measure of economic activity. The whole US is above the UK ($46k vs. $35k), and many states that people consider poor (Alabama, Tenn., Georgia, South Carolina) are actually above the UK in this figure, which is pretty funny. Source: IMF APRIL 2008. For state stats, I have the BLS as a source. I have all the sources here if anybody needs it.

USA's poorest state is well above Portugal, and is actually right below Italy, in terms of GDP per capita (PPP).

Originally Posted by Xebedee

Da, Tovaritch.

America's mainstaying strength lies in the sheer scale it has.
Economic behemoth - even now.
So to compare the US to somewhere other than, Russia, Europe or the dark side of the Moon is not taking into account one of, or possibly, the single most important factor.

(Yes, the deliberate mistake was, in fact, in the Pink Floyd reference. Well spotted.)

Originally Posted by Tootsie Frickensprinkles

I've seen figures and claims using GDP per capita that put the country I just left way ahead of the USA and by far the richest, and economically active in the world - and therefore by your logic, evidently the greatest place on earth to be.

You must be fukcing kidding me right??

Originally Posted by Tootsie Frickensprinkles

And what sort of recruitment, business experience do you have with which to base these conclusions on .. I'm curious.

Originally Posted by Fonseca33

I'm Economics Professor at UF, and I think I know (after years, and after hundreds of publications) what I am talking about. What I said is also common knowledge, so I am surprised somebody doubted it.

Originally Posted by Vladimir

Yes as i read poorest states nearly 25k per capital that is more then 21 k of Portugal. But much less then 36k of UK.