Europe is taking a rather unorthodox approach to the problem of long-term unemployment, according to The New York Times, by creating networks of fake businesses. While engaged in no actual economic activity, the routines of these fake businesses provide unemployed Europeans with the chance to keep up habits, skill sets, social connections, and a sense of purpose. Their incomes come from Europe's social safety net programs, in particular jobless benefits — though these often replace only a fraction of a previous salary.
The idea for the fake businesses got its start in Europe after World War II, when many people needed to learn new skills. Now there are 5,000 of them across the continent, pretending to be engaged in everything from selling pets to providing office furniture.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Nare Hotel: a charming hideaway on the Cornish coastThe Week Recommends Upgrade your classic seaside holiday at this five-star country house hotel
-
Today's political cartoons - March 6, 2025Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - weird science, Hoover's heels, and more
-
Gilbert & George and the Communists: an 'illuminating' look at the 'peculiar' world of the art duoThe Week Recommends The collaborative art pair's journey to Moscow in 1990 is chronicled in this 'excellent' book
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of businessSpeed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pausesSpeed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocksSpeed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor dealSpeed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US SteelSpeed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons mergerSpeed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battleSpeed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rallySpeed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
