These EU Countries Had Their Employment Levels Crushed By The Great Recession

We may be closer to the next recession than the last one, but Eurofound published some figures this week that gave an insight into employment trends during the turbulent period between the second quarter of 2008 and the second quarter of 2010.

The recession hit EU countries in different ways when it came to employment. Some were affected only very slightly, losing a small percentage of their work force. Others, towards the top of our list, were impacted a little bit more.

Though the figures here represent the change in employment from Q2 2008 to Q2 2010, it is interesting to note when unemployment started to rise in each nation and when it stopped. For some, the decline was already coming before 2008.

Overall there was a net loss of 5 million jobs in the EU. The Eurozone saw a 2.3 percent drop in employment during the period.

So, who got hit hardest?

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These Rich People Support Obama's Millionaire Tax

Lisa Du | Oct. 11, 2011, 2:20 PM | 2,252 |   x You have successfully emailed the post.

President Barack Obama's proposed "Buffett Rule" has been nothing short of controversial, and everyone is weighing in on the feasibility of the tax on millionaires and what it means for America. From denouncements of class warfare by Congressional Republication to showers of support from Americans, we've heard about it all. 

The proposed legislation, part of President Obama's overall deficit reduction plan, calls for raising the minimum tax rate on those who make over $1 million in income per year.

Among the rich, opinions have also been mixed. We've heard from those that are against the policy, but there are many who have shown willingness to be taxed to help the American economy out of its rut.

From from hedge fund owner John Arnold to Def Jam's Russell Simmons, we rounded up their words of support.

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These Funds Are So Bad That Employees Are Suing For Having To Invest In Them

In the mutual fund industry, some funds are good, some funds are bad, and some funds are so bad that their employees sue for having to invest in them.

I kid you not.

Last week it was reported that a group of Ameriprise employees have filed a lawsuit against their employer for offering only Ameriprise funds in their 401(k) plan — funds that were much more expensive than those offered by other fund managers.

In putting together a 401(k) plan employers are serving as fiduciaries, and as such are required to put their employees’ interests first when deciding which funds will be included as investment alternatives.

A handful of lawsuits have been launched over the past few years by employees who allege that their employers have breached this duty by choosing funds for their 401(k) plans on the basis of factors other than what was in their employees’ best interests. (Those factors most typically include which fund manager was offering the employer the best deal.)

But this is the first instance in which a mutual fund manager has been sued for offering their own funds to employees in the firm’s retirement plan.

There’s little denying that Ameriprise’s funds — which were offered under the RiverSource brand prior to being acquired by Columbia Management last year — are expensive, lackluster performers, charging upwards of 0.70 percent more than equivalent Vanguard funds.

Further, the suit notes, the plan’s participants weren’t even offered the lowest-cost share class, paying instead 0.17 to 0.34 percent more to invest in a more costly class. These excessive fees, of course, went directly to Ameriprise’s bottom line.

While it’s fairly clear that Ameriprise’s employees were ill-served by the choices they were offered in their retirement plan, the lawsuit highlights a rather odd fact of life that’s extremely commonplace in the mutual fund industry: many mutual fund employees know very well just how lousy their firm’s funds are.

I’ve personally had a number of conversations with people who work in the mutual fund industry who confess that they invest very little of their own money in their employer’s funds. They know full well that some of their competitors’ offerings are much better alternatives for their own hard-earned money, and won’t let loyalty to their employer trump their own economic interests.

Disingenuous? Yes. A sad commentary on the information gap that individual investors face? Definitely.

I just hope that none of the Ameriprise employers who are suing turn out to be Ameriprise advisors who were pitching these same funds to their clients.

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Will These Two Videos Absolve The Arrested Brooklyn Bridge Protesters?

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Last night we reported on the 700 Occupy Wall Street protesters who got arrested for marching on and obstructing the Brooklyn Bridge.

Some have apparently claimed entrapment by the police (who encouraged them to walk on the road), but the people we talked to last night mostly suggested that the police merely stood by and watched, not encouraging them, but not stopping them either.

So far we've seen no evidence of police actually encouraging protesters to go on the road, but there are videos that show police walking in front of the protesters, as they go up onto the road.

This isn't the same as encouraging them to go on the road, but on the other hand, you could see why people in a crowd would think that going on a bridge is kosher if the police are calmly walking in front of the crowd as they go up the road.

Here are two videos. The first, via Andrew Krucoff, is very short and shows the police clearly leading the way at the very start of the protesters entering the bridge.

The second video is longer, and doesn't show the moment of entry, but goes a little further in terms of the police walking in front of the protesters.

Anyway, we're curious your take. This doesn't look like entrapment to us, but it seems that if the police were going to throw a net around 700 protesters once they got to the middle, there's little reason for the police to be at the front of the pack entering the bridge.

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Check Out These Awesome Pictures Of The New Adidas HQ In Germany

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Sportswear giant Adidas has revamped its huge headquarter in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

1,700 Adidas staff members will be in the new space, which features intertwining walkways in an atrium that resemble shoe laces and numerous nooks and crannies designed to enable team work and creativity.

The Berlin-based design team KINZO worked with architecture firm kadawittfeldarchitektur to create the workspace.

(h/t Contemporist)

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These Are The Toughest Taxes For Europe's High Earners

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The way that countries tax their highest earners has become a controversial issue recently, with calls for a so-called "Buffet Tax" to hit the richest.

If you earn a larger salary the unfortunate reality in most cases is you're going to have to pay more taxes.

We've collected the data from all the EU countries to show you which ones have the meanest personal income tax on top earners.

To calculate this, we've taken the minimum amount you need to earn in order to be described as a top earner for tax purposes in each country. Then, we've deducted personal income tax. The lower the net amount, the tougher the tax.

What you see is that while tax rates may vary, the very definition of what is a "high earner" may have an even larger affect.

Maybe it's time to start brushing up on your Slovakian...

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These Pictures Of North Korea Are Simply Stunning

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Check Out These Crazy Potato Chip Flavors That Are Popular In China

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In the Western world, we all have our favorite things. Favorite beer, favorite TV shows, favorite flavor of ice cream. We get used to these things. They become the comforts of our lives. We even have our favorite flavor of  potato chip, right?

What happens though, when we leave the comforts of our world to go live in a completely strange and unusual land where our favorite things are thousands of miles away?

There’s not much you can do except find new favorites. If you are considering becoming an expat in China, it may make you happy to know that China has an abundance of Lay’s Potato Chips.

But before you get too excited, you need to know that the flavors in China are completely different from those of the western world. Here, to make your transition to The Mysterious Orient that much easier, are the Top Ten flavors of Lay’s Potato Chips in China.

This post originally appeared at Gunaxin Grub.

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Check Out These Cross-Dressing NFL Players In The Most Ridiculous Sports Card Series We've Ever Seen

I reflexively grow suspicious whenever an athlete uses himself for any promotional purpose, and the more out-of-character the appearance is, the more suspicious I get. Whenever I hear of a player "having some fun on the set," or hear a guy say through his agent that he "had a really great time" at a photo shoot, my level of suspicion immediately ramps up to critical levels.

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These guys are like most people, in that they aren't socially energetic extroverts. They're the Straight Man in every commercial. They stand there like a prop as Rabid Fan hatches a Crazy Plot with Other Rabid Fan. They're passable on billboards with milk mustaches only because they aren't moving.

When you read a promotional puff piece of the promotion (An advertisement of an advertisement! We are all insane!) and see a photo of Dan Marino smiling and sort of half-hugging the commercial director's production assistant, he is not, as the caption will claim, "clowning around on the set."He is a dog in a crate, hungry, thirsty, terrified, desperate to get off the plane. I feel awful. What are you doing to this man? Why would I make myself a participant in this agony by purchasing your product? What are you selling again? God, man, who cares?

I think I'm really exaggerating here, just because that's the way I would be in such a situation. I'm sure that every day, athletes take photo shoots, commercials, what have you, in stride. They do what they need to do, and it isn't a big deal.

In this case -- the case of this Monsters of the Gridiron football card set -- I know I'm not exaggerating. Look in their eyes! They wish they were dead.

These really may be the dumbest cards in the history of Sports Cards For Insane People. Deep breath. (And once again, I have delved into the unbelievably throrough depths of Check Out My Cards to find these monstrosities.)

This post originally appeared at SB Nation.

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AN AMERICAN ABROAD: These Super-American Movies Did Even Better Overseas

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Here's a movie twist no one saw coming.

The summer box-office hit "Captain America: The First Avenger" is doing even better overseas -- despite having overt themes of American patriotism.

Fearing anti-American foreign sentiment, Paramount had pondered marketing the film as just "The First Avenger."

But every foreign distributor -- save for Russia, Ukraine, and South Korea -- went with the original title because of the character's brand-name recognition.

Looks like the studio had nothing to worry about. The word America didn't keep theatergoers away -- and it isn't the first time a stars-and-stripes bonanza has charmed the worldwide box office.

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Check Out These Norwegian Architectural Gems

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A great example of progressive government policy: In 2005 Norway launched The National Tourist Routes: a vast 15-year campaign re-evaluating the concept of tourism by transforming it into a culturally active product.

To achieve that the government turned to a stellar congregation of designers & architects like Margrete Friis, Peter Zumthor, PUSHAK arkitekter, Code Arkitektur, Manthey Kula, Snøhetta, and Jensen & Skodvin to name only a few, with a request to create their own stunning yet nature-aware rest stops, observation decks and other small-scale architectural jewels.

The architectural objects are already effectively shaping the vastly attractive new face of the planned tourist routes spanning from the southern town of Jaeren to the northern city of Varenger.

Hopefully, a move that will not only generate greater tourist activity for beautiful Norway but will also inspire other governments to follow in these footsteps. It is a fact worth noting, the launch of the National Tourist Routes government initiative has been followed up by a number of equally inspiring and nature-regarding commissions by foundations, national parks and private investors in Norway.

The beautiful architectural gestures — often so small-scale or subtle that their part in the tourist route experience can almost go unnoticed — bravely fight back concerns that due to the pragmatic present-day nature of state level decision-making in Norway nature-going has lost the previous charm of Nordic tourism. They imbue the landscape with points of view and the cultural and historical heritage of spaces, which all contribute to what we perceive as "the spirit of a place" and what actually make us remember it, love it, go back to it.

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These Laborers Continue To Work On Labor Day

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On Labor Day, Americans honor the country’s workforce and the end of summer. However, while most of us enjoy a day off, millions must continue to work to keep the country’s utilities going, its people safe and its economy running.

These workers, while being saluted, do not get to celebrate themselves. They may be at work simply because their boss requires it or in response to an emergency. In many cases, the work simply needs to continue — firefighters must be ready to extinguish fires and nurses must tend to patients.

What’s more, workers of some occupations have an increased workload on Labor Day. Police officers, for example, monitor parades and respond to crimes. Air traffic controllers need to deal with the increase in travel common to Labor Day.

24/7 Wall St. has identified crucial jobs in transportation, utilities, security and health care that America cannot afford to let have a day off. We then used the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Occupational Employment Statistics database to identify specific job categories and attendant data for each. Of course, not everyone employed in these fields has to take a shift on Labor Day, but unlike traditional factory work or office jobs, the work must go on, and someone still needs to do it.

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These Are The Fattest Countries In Europe

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Check Out These Photos Of This Ultra Creepy Russian Hospital

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The hospital in Vyksa, located in the Nizhny Novgorod region, looks like an abandoned building. 

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These Apple Execs Will Run The Show Now That Steve Jobs Is Gone (AAPL)

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DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: These Former Models Made It In Hollywood

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Next year, supermodel Marisa Miller will spend a little less time rolling around on a beach and a little more time running lines on a set.

She just booked a role in "R.I.P.D.," a drama that will also star Jeff Bridges, Mary Louise-Parker and Ryan Reynolds.

And the Victoria's Secret mainstay is far from the first catwalk queen to cross into Hollywood.

Models have been booking movie and TV roles for years -- and the career move is particularly hot right now.

Don't believe us?

All of these actors used to get paid to look pretty -- no dialogue required.

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These Perfectly Detailed Baseball Stadium Models Will Astonish You

  x You have successfully emailed the post. Baseball is one sport where the classic ballparks are often just as much a part of baseball history as the games and players themselves.

Steve Wolf is an artist that specializes in creating models of baseballs most famous ballparks. Wolf typically spends 2,000 hours working on each model, depending on the scale and amount of detail. The attention to detail, right down to the electric lights and the manicured grass, is so incredible that in a photo, it is often difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

One of Wolf's pieces, the model of 1961 Yankee Stadium that covers 49 square feet, was valued at $150,000 in 2007.

Several of Wolf's pieces are featured in the LA Sports Museum. You can see more of Wolf's work and learn more about the artist at MajorLeagueModels.com.

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Watch Food Network Star Sandra Lee Curse And Grab Her Breasts In These Awesome Outtakes

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Finally, Someone Prices One Of These New BlackBerrys To Sell (RIMM, S)

Following RIM's announcement about the new BlackBerry Curve models, Sprint says it will offer the phone for $79.99 with a two-year contract and $50 rebate.

It goes on sale September 9.

This is a much, much better price than what RIM and carriers are asking for the new BlackBerry Bold, which will cost up to $300, depending on the carrier.

True, the Bold has a touchscreen and is more powerful than the curve, but there are plenty of other smartphones out there that can be bought at a more reasonable price.

The full announcement from Sprint is below.

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), August 23, 2011 - The next generation of Research In Motion’s (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) popular BlackBerry® Curve™ series of smartphones, the stunning new BlackBerry Curve 9350, comes to Sprint (NYSE: S) on Friday, Sept. 9, offering the latest BlackBerry operating system – BlackBerry® 7. The new BlackBerry Curve 9350 is a fast, affordable, easy-to-use, full-featured and socially connected smartphone that is as beautiful as it is functional.

The slim and stylish smartphone will cost just $79.99 (excluding taxes) with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement, after a $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1 and be available in all Sprint sales channels, including Sprint Stores, Business Sales, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and web sales (www.sprint.com). Sprint Business customers may qualify to get BlackBerry Curve 9350 for $49.99 (excluding taxes) on a business account with a new line or eligible upgrade and new one- or two-year service agreement, after a $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1.

“It is exciting to see the BlackBerry Curve line continue to evolve, building upon past success,” said David Owens, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “This latest iteration offers the recognizable form factor our customers have come to enjoy, while adding powerful new features and innovative apps of BlackBerry 7 to deliver the smoothest and fastest BlackBerry Curve experience to date.”

The BlackBerry Curve 9350 smartphone offers a full QWERTY keyboard and trackpad for easy one-handed navigation and keeps users connected by allowing them to easily share moments through pictures and videos via MMS, as well as by instant message with world-class IM services like BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger). With easy access to social networking sites like Flickr®, MySpace and Facebook®, this smartphone provides smooth integration to keep users up to speed on what’s happening in their personal and professional lives.

Key features include:

BlackBerry App World™, the official app store front for BlackBerry smartphones offering customization, fun and productivityNear Field Communications (NFC) support for a secure exchange of information between NFC-enabled devices over a very short distance5MP camera with HD video capture, flash and zoom512MB RAM2GB microSD card included, with support for up to 32GB microSD cardBlackBerryPlayBook support with BlackBerry Bridge™ (BlackBerry Bridge is available as a free download on BlackBerry App World)DataViz Docs To Go® Premium suite preloaded, for editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files from anywhereWi-Fi® (802.11 b/g/n)Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR support

Smoother and Faster with BlackBerry 7

With BlackBerry 7, the BlackBerry Browser is significantly enhanced to provide a faster and more fluid user experience and includes optimized HTML5 performance for incredible gaming and video experiences.

Building upon the Universal Search feature introduced in BlackBerry 6, BlackBerry 7 expands the capability to include voice-activated search. This new capability makes it easier and more convenient to search for content on the smartphone or web.

BlackBerry 7 also integrates BlackBerry® Balance™, which separates personal content from corporate content, giving users the freedom and flexibility to use the smartphone for personal email, Facebook®, Twitter®, multimedia, games and other apps, while satisfying the very real need for corporate data to be highly secure and manageable. BlackBerry Balance works in conjunction with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server 5.0.3, which provides a number of unique IT policy controls, such as wiping only corporate data or blocking work-related content and apps from being copied or forwarded to personal contacts.

BlackBerry Curve 9350 requires activation on one of Sprint’s Everything Data plans plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge – a savings of $40 per month versus Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB web or $10 per month versus Verizon’s 450-minute plan with unlimited text and 2GB web. (Pricing excludes taxes and surcharges.)

Sprint was unbeaten among major wireless carriers for customer satisfaction according to results from the 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index. In addition to tying for first place among wireless carriers, Sprint was also the number one most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all industries, during the last three years, according to the survey.

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