Things are difficult everywhere, this is mainly because if the global economy and volitility. We can't do anything about the global economy or unstability except learn to adapt to it. There is going to be winners and losers everywhere, try not to be a loser.
Living in Switzerland, you don't really notice many problems or drastic changes very often, such as noticeable increases in food prices and such (they're already so damn high!). Especially after the recent unpeg from the Euro, the CHF has gotten stronger and therefore increased our purchasing power in neighboring countries. This is good for the consumer as they can benefit from relatively cheaper price as compared to a few months ago maybe, however not so good for the Swiss economy as a whole, as more people will be willing to spend money outside of the country. However, the currency has more or less became stable now against the Euro, and fluctuates around the 1 EUR for 1 CHF mark, as compared to 1.2 EUR for 1 CHF a few days ago.
I am on the West Coast of the US and from what I keep hearing the economy is getting better. I still can't find a new job that is going to pay me worth a darn and prices are still going up on items I buy the most. I am enjoying lower fuel prices thanks to the American oil reserves though. I guess the low price per gallon will make me spend just a little more on food.
Well north America seems to be doing alright. Of course they have their own problems but I think that structurally it's much more stable than Europe. Also eyeing Asia as there are a lot of growing countries which can offer a modern lifestyle for less $$$ than western countries.
I have heard before that you can go to places like the Philipines with the American Dollar and live like a king or queen. Ofcourse you would have to be willing to put up with the living conditions there, but if you are interested in making your dollar worth a lot of money, it is an option. I suppose countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and perhaps China are the same way, but I am not exactly sure how their currency compares to ours in the US. I would love for someone to chime in and bring more clarity to this if they have a better understanding than I do.
I am currently in Saudi Arabia. Things here quite normal in the facade.. but with the installation of the new king, I am sure there are some changes that are going to happen very soon. Business wise, things are great. The Saudi economy is strong despite the recent drop in oil prices.
In my country it's elections year so our wages got a slight increase lol, the same every fours years. After the election I think that the most extreme cuts will be back, but as for now, it has been worse.
I have spent a little time here and there in other countries, but there are things about America that I have always loved. I had lots of fun in Thailand but couldn't see living there. And I loved Singapore and Australia, but there are certain things about my home country that are unique to it and keep me here.
I too live in the UK and am seeing all the things missbishi said. I just wanted to add that the environment for starting a new business is also pretty poor here, so its almost like you can't even help yourself and others by creating a business that will pay your and your workforce whilst contributing taxes to the national purse. My business partner and I have been working on a new project for about 12 months and we got ourselves ready to launch - the point is at every step of the start-up phase, things seemed to be designed to slow you down rather than helping you. The most frustrating example I can think of right now is trying to buy insurance for our business - most insurers do not seem to want to insure a start-up, and no business here can operate without the appropriate insurance. I think with economic conditions the way they are currently, the government should do all it can to help start-ups like ours, even if it means competing against the private sector in some areas. Like Insurance.
