Germany’s unemployed go shopping

At the entryway of this adult education center, visitors stop at a festively decorated booth. They exchange their Euros for gold coins which can be used at this market, each gold coin is worth about 70 cents, but the market is not open to everyone. Shoppers must show that they’re unemployed or make less than $1200 dollars a month. Inside this woman finds booths selling handmade and second hand gods, free food, games for the kids, and even a Santa Claus. The most recent unemployment figures for Berlin stand at 12.8%. this organizer of the market sees this time of year as a special challenge for her clients. Even the Santa Claus was unemployed until recently. Stories like that man’s are commonplace for many in Berlin. This Berlin senator says after reunification there were major structural challenges in Berlin but the numbers in Berlin are huge and those who are working don’t make much money. The senator plans on holding similar markets to this every two weeks.