Merz Says He Will Not Recommend US for His Children, Citing Job and Social Climate

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that he would no longer recommend the United States as a place for his children to study or work, citing what he described as a worsening social climate in America and narrowing job prospects even for highly educated people. Speaking at a Catholic conference in Würzburg, Merz said his admiration for the United States was “not growing” and added, “So, I wouldn’t recommend to my children today that they go to the U.S., get an education there, and work there.”

Merz’s comments come as several governments in Europe have reassessed aspects of the United States’ economic and social environment, and as tensions between Washington and European allies have intensified over trade disputes and the wars in Ukraine and Iran. In his remarks, Merz argued that the United States has become more polarized and that the “land of opportunity” image has faded. He also said that “Today, the best-educated in America have great difficulty finding a job.”

Officials and analysts have pointed to labor-market indicators as part of the context for such concerns. The New York Fed has reported unemployment among degree holders aged 22 to 27 at about 5.7%,...