You can compare Europe to the USA to see that
USA Union membership vs Europe
https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2021/03/30/how-us...
USA Employee conditions vs Europe
https://4liberty.eu/everyday-reality-of-employees-in-us-vs-e...
This article is obviously talking with a US version of unions in mind. I'm going to give the French perspective because that's where I work, but I know something similar (and even better) exists in Germany.
Alongside traditional unions, which exist and are prevalent in traditional industries (e.g. railway workers are very unionised and often demonstrate/strike), there's also the so-called CSE(comité social et économique), a mini-union. It's mandatory for companies with more than 20 employees, and with more than 50 there's also a mandatory budget, time dedicated from employees, etc. There are elections to elect employee representatives, and they cannot be managers. They have a representative role before the 50 employee threshold, afterwards with the (mandatory) budget and time they also usually add other stuff like partnerships/perks/"fun" projects. The representative role is up to them (e.g. they can propose to management that X or Y be implemented, like profit sharing), but also within a legal framework (e.g. if the company wants to do layoffs, they have to consult the CSE on the layoff plan. If an employee is being pushed out/fired, the CSE can help (they can't block a firing, but they can provide guidance on rights, ensure things are done according to the law, etc.).
In Germany they take this a step further and at bigger companies (unsure of the exact threshold) employee representatives have board seats.
[0]https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/united-states/....
It's unclear (but doesn't sound like it) if that number is adjusted for Cost of Living. In the US education, healthcare and transportation are significantly more expensive than in most OECD countries. For instance, it's pretty much unheard of across the OECD for education to cost tens to hundreds of thousands of USD and workers to start their work life with massive debts. Healthcare-related bankruptcies are also extremely rare outside of the US.
And the work-life balance rating of 5.2/10 is pretty damning. What good is that extra money (if it's actually extra money and not going to savings to be able to afford the next surprise medical bill) if you have no holidays and have to work 80 hour weeks so it's actually impossible to spend it?
It is adjusted--per another OECD page, "This indicator is in US dollars per capita at current prices and PPPs".[0]
> In the US education, healthcare and transportation are significantly more expensive than in most OECD countries. For instance, it's pretty much unheard of across the OECD for education to cost tens to hundreds of thousands of USD and workers to start their work life with massive debts. Healthcare-related bankruptcies are also extremely rare outside of the US.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the average US household spends ~5K per year on healthcare. The median student loan debt is ~30K (so ~5K per year for 10 years), but only ~20% of Americans hold this debt. I'm not sure where you got the info about transportation cost differences, but I doubt it makes up the difference.
> Healthcare-related bankruptcies are also extremely rare outside of the US.
That's true! But then, only a small number of households experience this. Meanwhile, the average European has a huge amount of household debt--far more than the average American![1]
> And the work-life balance rating of 5.2/10 is pretty damning. What good is that extra money (if it's actually extra money and not going to savings to be able to afford the next surprise medical bill) if you have no holidays and have to work 80 hour weeks so it's actually impossible to spend it?
I'm sure it's convenient to pretend that working 80 hour weeks is normal in America, but it's... not. Also, unpaid vacation exists. Take it if you want it. It's nice to have options, huh?
[0]https://data.oecd.org/hha/household-disposable-income.htm [1]https://data.oecd.org/hha/household-debt.htm#indicator-chart