"Something pretty incredible is going on in Germany. While the U.S. and much of the rest of the developed world is suffering not only with high unemployment, but also stubborn unemployment, Germany has been heading in the exact opposite direction. Defying the odds, Germany’s unemployment rate has been declining during the Great Recession. According to the OECD, German unemployment stood at 8.6% in the boom year of 2007; in 2010, the OECD estimates unemployment fell to 6.9%." (Quoted from article)