Europe is a great place to visit -- but don’t try to find a job there. Unemployment averaged 8.8 percent in Europe last year compared to 6.1 percent in the United States. Over the last 12 years, America’s worst unemployment rate was better than Europe’s best unemployment rate, says William Conerly (National Center for Policy Analysis).
http://www.ncpa.org/newdpd/dpdarticle.php?article_id=80
I've lived and worked nearly 12 years in various European countries, including a year and a half in Denmark just recently. My wife, who grew up and worked in Denmark until I came along, and I noted how easy it is there for people to live quite well off welfare and unemployment benefits for as long as they do not have a job. We also noted that many shamelessly moonlight on the side without reporting the additonal income as they are legally required to do. We've seen people on physical disability doing pretty heavy home construction work, as well as other physically active jobs on the side. Generally, they don't make the effort to get a job to the extent that we have to in the USA. I'm sure the same conditions exist in most all northern European countries and the UK as well.
Over 5 Million Germans Jobless in January 2005
A senior German official said Wednesday that the country's unemployment would reach a new post-World War II record in January, with more than 5 million people out of work for the first time.
http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/ap/2005/02/02/ap1798384.html