Both imports and exports with Austria, Switzerland, and other German-speaking countries are large and growing. In fact, the Globe’s 160 percent figure might be on the low side. The statistic included a variety of “bilingual workers,” but notes that the demand for “German skills” is “showing the largest rise.”
The report summarizes a study released by an organization called New American Economy.
The demand for German proficiency is found across various sectors of the economy: management, accounting, marketing, life sciences, engineering, and various research and development functions. The study notes that “pharmaceutical and electronics companies that have a strong presence in Europe drove the demand for German.”
In addition to imports and exports, there are a variety of joint ventures, American firms with office in Switzerland and Austria, as well as German-speaking firms with offices in the United States.
