Abstract

Discussions over questions such as "how we can avoid another crisis" have demonstrated that politicians, economists and researchers hold diverse views on the origins and drivers of the current economic crisis as well as on its upshot and on remedies to it. In a globalized world, domestic markets of all countries keep interacting with one another, be it a market for a product, a labor market or a financial market. Thus the aftermath of the US crisis could be felt in the EU countries as well. The leadership role that Germany plays in the EU attracts attention to this country' s efforts at minimizing the consequences of the crisis affecting small businesses and consumers. The paper sets out to show how legal and social regulations can be used to that effect and what economic and social benefits they actually yield. For a number of years, Germany and France have been seen as the "draught horses" of the EU. This brings much attention to Germany's position on the labor market. The paper focuses on initiatives deployed by the German government to counteract the repercussions of the crisis through regulatory changes to the legal and social framework of the labor market. The job market is comprised of legions of employees who have been severely stricken by the crisis. Germany's government undertook to minimize the consequences that affected, in the first place, end consumers and small businesses. It should be contemplated, therefore, what lessons can be learned from German experiences and how they can be applied to Poland's economy.(original abstract)