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On the other hand, in Europe, workers' protection, environmental protection, and
what seems like an obsession for regulations in general make even surviving as a small
employer tough. Europe is a challenging, even demoralizing environment for running a
small business. While I appreciate the way Europe organizes much of its society, I'm
thankful I run my business here rather than there. In Europe, I could never have the creat-
ive fun I enjoy as an entrepreneur in the USA.
Is the American approach “wrong” and Europe's approach “right?” As a taxpayer and
a job creator, I see pros and cons to both systems. We can all benefit by comparing notes.
One priority of the European approach is striking a comfortable work-life balance. The EU
has about 500 million people, with an annual economy of around $16 trillion. To put that
into relative terms, the United States, with around 300 million people, has an economy of
approximately the same size. Proponents of the American system point out that Europeans
don't make as much money as we do. It's true—with more people generating only the same
gross economy, they earn less per person. But Western European workers make essentially
the same per hour as ours do. They just choose to work fewer hours.
I was raised believing there was one good work ethic: You work hard. While we call
this
the
work ethic, it's actually only
a
work ethic. Europeans have a different one. They
choose to work fewer hours than American do, and willingly make correspondingly less
income. While this may not be good for business, it is good for life. Choosing to work
less is part of “family values” in Europe; meanwhile, here in business-friendly America,
working less is frowned upon…almost subversive.