Here's my prediction. Plot the publication dates of Daniel et al.'s two existing works and future ones against the years in the titles, and you'll get a hockey stick curve.
Hang on, wasn't the market supposed to work it out? How come it's someone's job to fast-track inclusion? Isn't intervening directly in the market a communist policy? Are you a communist by any chance?
So, you're saying the US (300+ mln, #1 military) never actually requested to deploy them and Denmark (5 mln) never actually refused. But because you think an agreement is unlikely, it's straight to annexation by force. Do I have that right?
> Let the market decide... They're changing the rules on inclusion ...
You have the market deciding and the rules changing in the same paragraph and nothing's bothering you. I genuinely envy your peace of mind, my friend. Some of us are truly blessed.
> From the start, two bedroom at 80k salary for living alone is already an interesting choice for 2026.
Fair point. That example comes from my research, but trying to anonymize it somewhat I ended up messing it up completely. I ack it doesn't make sense as is. And saying that a job in tech won't be enough to rent a place on your own was stupid too.
> Why US companies in EU have to pay premium -- because they try to behave like in US and pay premium to their delusions of grandeur.
From my perspective they pay more because they actually value skilled employees. (Shocking, isn't it? US companies valuing their people more than European companies do). And hiring the best, in turn, lets them outcompete European business, make more money and compensate their people better -- on and on it goes.
> they try to behave like in US
In reality, save for a rare exception, they treat their employees nicely in both US and EU.
Or at least they used to before we entered the current layoffs era -- but people say big Berlin tech companies have become just as toxic (DeliveryHero, Zalando...). So it doesn't look like European companies are stopped from being toxic by labor law or better ethics.
> Why it's lower in general -- because the cost of living is lower
That's not the whole story though. Obviously comparing absolute numbers is a fool's errand. But the purchasing power is significantly lower too. And, like, OK, maybe matching US salaries purchasing power isn't realistic -- but my feeling is current EU comps are below a fair level. Companies pay that simply because they can get away with it.
> Grind some in US (if you are of acceptable skin color for them), then go and chill here once you are done with the grind.
That's not a bad idea at all. I'm good though. Found my way and am doing fine for now and, hopefully, long-term too.
It just pains me to watch so much wasted potential. Yeah, it's none of my business and it's dumb that a non-EU citizen even has strong opinions about this stuff. But EU could do so much better if only it got its shit together instead of this pathetic "but we got public transport" style coping.
Well, my feelings are hurt by seeing so many talented engineers getting compensated so badly.
How come that for all the signing and dancing about worker rights protections when push comes to shove it's US companies EU offices that are ready to pay their employees fairly? What kind of hypocrisy from EU companies is that?
If you think EU companies just cannot afford to pay that much, just compare what Siemens pays to the same level SWE in EU and US. (Have no relation to Siemens whatsoever, just an example).
I don't feel like discussing my personal situation on the Internet. And was careful not to imply otherwise.
That said, I was considering relocating to Germany and researching the country as best I could. I do prefer European lifestyle, but the salaries are just a non-starter.
You can easily check the numbers I give though. Any specific mistakes there?
Btw, why are you so defensive about the fact comp is so low in Europe?
> your math is not mathing really (what 20% downpayment?).
> what 20% downpayment?
20% downpayment is generally expected by German banks if you want to take out a mortgage. Don't take my word for it, check yourself.
500K Eur x 0.2 / (12 * 1K Eur) = 8.3 years.
You implied that saving 1K a month is some absurd goal. I'm trying to show that's tablestakes if you hope to ever own a home.
> Few years ago in Holland it was something like 100k salary == mortgage for 500k house. No downpayment, 2k monthly.
Would it be wrong to think that the borrower would repay a potential downpayment a few times over to the bank?
How much smaller that 2k mortgage payment would be with a 20% downpayment? And how much larger the share going towards the mortgage body would be?
If only the borrower's comp was just big enough to let them save for that downpayment.
Don't know about you, but to me it sounds almost as if the system was rigged against the worker, to redistribute wealth away from them and into the hands of employers and bankers.
Thanks for the link, intresting. I must be missing something, how do these stats square with home prices being in the 200-500-infinity range ballpark and, a very decent for Europe, salary being 50 thousand euro or so?
Oh, and all these news reports saying how young Europeans have to live with their parents until their thirties?
And GP guesses your comment might be using humor as a coping mechanism.
I'm not American, the question was why Europe can't keep talent ("talent" doesn't really include me).
Well, the compensation is just depressing. And as that person from Ireland pointed out, all the talk about worker protections is barely more than fairy tales (maybe not in the Netherlands, idk).
Were we looking at 120 instead of 80, deciding between Europe's quality of life and pursuing career and money in the US would a real tough dilemma. With 80 just enough to pay rent and for groceries... Saving a thousand a month (a wild sum!) gets you to a 20% downpayment on a 500K home in just 8 years...
Well, maybe things are better than I imagine. Would you be comfortable sharing a few things? Thanks!
What're your monthly expenses? After rent, that is. Just groceries, a mobile plan, some clothes averaged over the year, etc.
Do you have an emergency fund? If so, what's the ballpark sum?
Are you going to be able to still pay rent when you retire?
Are you saving for a downpayment?
Do you feel financial secure enough to star a family?
Can you afford to visit some far-away place with beautiful nature once a year?
Can you afford to go... idk, skiing? Can you afford all the gear needed to do that and a few lessons?
Can you buy a gaming PC with something like rtx 5070 or so? Not into gaming? Can you afford a homelab made up of a few used PCs and a few Raspberry Pies to play around with Kubernetes or whatnot?
Fascinating reads, Daniel! Keep 'em coming!