Study: Berlin No Longer Bottom of Pack

Berlin no longer holds last place among the federal states when it comes to economic activity, a study by the financial magazine Wirtschaftswoche and the Initiative for New Social Market Economies found. In an analysis of the development of important location factors from 2002 to 2004, the city-state of Berlin managed to supersede Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which now occupies the bottom spot. The top state according to the survey was Saxony in eastern Germany. Plus points for the capital were its success in trimming the public sector and maintaining low job-related costs. However, the study found that Berlin still has work to do to improve its standing when it comes to worker productivity and the range of job training placements available to its young citizens.