Unexpected Outcomes
Germany - along with other European Union countries - has been struggling with high unemployment for some while. With between 4million and 5million out of work, the economy has been suffering so the long term unemployed are “encouraged” to take jobs that they are offered by prospective employers or suffer a cut in their benefits. Something similar happens in the UK and for the most part, is not such a bad thing. After all, it is taxpayers’ money being handed out and if there is suitable employment out there and people turn down jobs because they don’t like them, then they must expect consequences. Certainly when going through a period of unemployment I took anything that brought a wage in - even if it was less than I had been earning and the job was of a menial nature. I looked upon it as a temporary solution.
Two years ago, prostitution was legalised in Germany. This has a number of benefits; it brings the sex industry out of the black economy and with it tax revenue. Also, STDs are more likely to be effectively managed with screening programmes for sex workers. All in all, it is probably a good thing. It works for Germany and it works for the Netherlands.
You can see where this is going, can’t you? This week a German job seeker was told that a prospective employer was interested in her profile . When she contacted them, she discovered that it was a brothel. An IT professional, she was prepared to take work in a bar (much as I once did). However, she was not happy about prostitution. When she sought redress, she discovered that the job centre was acting within the law - brothels are legal employers with the same rights of access to job seekers as any other employer. There is no exception on moral grounds because, as prostitution is now legal, it is by default, not immoral.
Now you can see how this happened - two streams of legislation have come together to produce an unexpected outcome. Unless the German legislators really meant to send unemployed women out on the game to get their unemployment figures down? 
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Comment by Pimme
# February 2, 2005,
I wonder if male prostitutes make more than females do? All jobs seem to be like that…Visit me @ http://pimme.blog-city.com
[Longrider replies] Er, I’m not qualifed to comment on that…
Comment by –W–
# February 4, 2005,
Hmm, maybe I need to move to Germany and become a gigoloVisit me @ http://confessionsofalibertine.blog-city.com/