Germany to keep its job market closed to new member states

Germany has decided to keep its job market closed to workers from the new members of the European Union until at least April 2009.

The decision was taken on Wednesday (22 March) by the German cabinet.

"Germany must guarantee that the access to the German job market remains controlled in the interest of economic stability," employment minister Franz Muntefering was reported saying by Deutsche Welle.

The German unemployment rate in February hit 12.2 percent.

Jozef O...