Bulgarians, Romanians Cause 'Small Miracle' on Germany's Labor Market, Expert Says

The end of restrictions on free movement of Bulgarian and Romanian workers has led to a "small miracle" on the labor market in Germany, a scholar has argued.

Prof Herbert Brücker has cited data from his Nuremberg Institute for Employment Research, which recently prepared a study [DE] on the impact on Germany of Bulgarians and Romanians' free movement across the EU.

As of January 1, 2014 limitations were dropped for citizens of both countries under an agreement which kept them in force within a seven-year period after the two member states' accession into the EU.

The event triggered a populist backlash in Germany and elsewhere, with populist parties in the north of Europe arguing a tidal wave of Bulgarians and Romanians would arrive to make use of the receiving countries' social systems, also boosting unemployment among locals.

However, there is no evidence of any "abuse" of social benefits among immigrants from these countries, Prof Brücker says.

The results reveal that free movement has resulted in a 14-percent increase in employment among Bulgarians and Romanians, a figure suggesting the number of people who found work is higher than that of newcomers. This is "something of a precedent in Germany's economy," Prof Brücker told DW in an interview.

"In this sense, free movement of Bulgarians and Romanians is a big success, both for the labor market and for the social system of Germany - because those who work also pay taxes."

The average percent of Germans receiving unemployment benefits or other kinds of grants from the social system has remained relatively low among the two groups of immigrants against the backdrop of an overall increase (14%, up from 10%) for Germany in 2014.

But Brücker...