In the twenty year period 1980-2000 virtually no private jobs were developed in the nations of the European Union (EU) as compared to 33 million new private sector jobs in the United States. Unemployment in the EU reached 10% as compared to 4.1% in the U.S. As compared to U.S. firms, EU firms pay their governments an amount equal to 50 to 200% of employees' wages as "social charges." In addition government-mandated minimum wages often far exceed the value low-skilled workers might contribute to potential employers. Consequently low-skilled unemployed cannot find jobs. Firing workers is costly because of government required severance pay is high. Thus most new hires are temporary workers on short-term contracts. Meanwhile the unemployment rate in the EU among persons under 25 averages around 20%.

If the reasons for the EU's high structural unemployment are so obvious, why aren't governments relaxing strict labor laws and reducing social charges levied on employers?

Are there cultural reasons that may explain the different attitudes European workers hold versus the attitudes held by US workers?