Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

(...) Regarding financing, I am of the opinion that if the employer wants me to work at a certain location, then they should also pay for it. With business trips, it’s already like that...

I do a lot of business trips and it’s getting worse and worse with bureaucracy and payment... because the cheap competition and consequently the cost pressure are increasing.

I guess many employers will react to your demand like this in the future:
“Fine. Then we’ll move our office from Munich to Frankfurt Oder or straight to Warsaw.”

Many still don’t seem to understand what lies ahead for Germany as a location in the coming decades. We are way too expensive, whether wages, energy, or environmental standards.

When I look at what my company charges per hour for me... I’m not surprised that many now hire Eastern Europeans. They do take longer, but they only cost one-third.

The rest of the time I would like to eat for about ten euros, not even half of what I spend at the all you can eat.

For the 2-3 trips to a soccer game/concert/New Year's Eve party/... you can buy a single ticket or day ticket. You probably pay less than the parking fee at the venue and can benefit from the existing infrastructure. Those who use it regularly get a volume discount. As is often the case in life.

Hi,

A pilot project with autonomous shuttle buses will take place in Hamburg starting in 2024.

Yes, on a defined and prepared route with vehicles moving at bicycle speed. That is a start, yes, but unfortunately not much more. Autonomous driving will come, that is no question! But I am very uncertain about when.

Best regards,

Andreas

I do a lot of business trips and the bureaucracy and payment issues are getting worse... because the low-cost competition and accordingly also the cost pressure are increasing. I guess many employers will react to your demand like this in the future: "Fine. Then we’ll move our office from Munich to Frankfurt Oder or straight to Warsaw." It still seems unclear to many what awaits the German location in the coming decades. We are way too expensive, whether in wages, energy, or environmental standards. When I look at what my company charges for me per hour... I’m not surprised that many are now hiring Eastern Europeans. They take longer, but only cost a third.

I don’t see things so black, on the contrary. I even see future "blossoming landscapes." This whole pessimism doesn’t correspond either with the past or with the future predicted by scientists (without tin foil hats). Moreover, it doesn’t correspond with my current perception (considering about 50 of our highest-revenue customers from my work area). Sure, some will be left behind, and maybe the social gap will (unfortunately) widen a bit more. But quite pragmatically considered, Germany will on average do economically better than other countries for a long time. Again, just my personal amateur opinion since my crystal ball is currently being repaired.

So when I look at where I started 12 years ago and what is possible today... I am by far not as pessimistic as all of you here.

10 years ago, I had a Golf VI, which could barely maintain speed. Today I have a Seat that I let drive itself on the highway over long distances using the lane assist and ACC. A Seat... just 6 or 7 years ago, that was only available in the 5 Series or 7 Series.

I assume that my 6-year-old daughter won’t need a driver’s license in 12 years. By then, autonomous driving will be standard and you will pay a lot, lot of money to the insurance if you want to drive yourself...

I don't only see less negativity, on the contrary. (...)

What do I see as negative? I am not prophesying the apocalypse. But I consider it an illusion that the promise "children shall have it better than their parents" will continue to hold true.

I don't know where you get your optimism from, but the young generation we get... when we get something "useful," it makes me very sad. No bite, no "passion for the job"...

You may be right about IT, everyone fights over the 9 to 5 office jobs. But in the field of global special plant engineering? Dark, very dark when it comes to young talent. This is how we earn a large part of our money in Germany. You only buy plants here if we also build them at the customer's site. If no one does that anymore... then you buy from those who do.