Editing German model (section)

== Future of the German model ==
Since [[German reunification]] German prosperity has declined compared to pre-unification West German levels, and the German unemployment rate reached record levels: 12.6% (according to national definition) as of March 2, 2005,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/2005/03/08/cz_0308oxan_germany.html |title=German Joblessness Hits High, Economy Stagnates |website=Forbes}}</ref> the highest rate since World War II. The failure of the German model to maintain standards of high performance has led experts to speculate about its demise, despite having been adopted successfully in other countries' corporations since its peak. Others see the relative decline  as an unavoidable consequence of integrating the much less advanced GDR economy and 17 million new citizens, which necessitated a transfer of over 1.3 trillion Euros from west to east as of 2009.

Much of the political discourse regarding reforms in recent years revolved around the question of how to modify the German model (and the political conditions forming its framework) to sustain it in a globalised economy. Ex-Chancellor [[Gerhard Schröder]]'s reforms, called "[[Agenda 2010]]", made some steps towards such a goal, but also brought with them much controversy. Nonetheless, after years of 'painful' reforms, the German economy seems to have got back on track. 
The [[wage share]], however, measured as [[compensation of employees]] as percentage of [[gross national income]], was declining in Germany since the 1980s. 
[[File:GNIdistributionFRG.png|thumb|Components of [[gross national income]]]]

Unemployment has fallen below 10% (according to national definition) for the first time in years and economic growth reached 2.7% in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6356513.stm |title=Eurozone sees revival in growth |date=February 13, 2007 |via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

In June 2016, the unemployment rate was reported as 5.9% by the German Federal Employment Agency ([[Bundesagentur für Arbeit]]).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de/ |title=Startseite - Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit |website=statistik.arbeitsagentur.de}}</ref>

Whether this is an ongoing development is however a matter of continuing debate, as are further reforms.