How U.S Stimulus Checks Compare to European Stimulus Checks

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit countries all around the world hard. Thousands of people every day get infected with the virus as doctors race to treat patients and countries race to vaccine residents.

The virus has peaked many aspects of day-to-day life, separate from health. Many businesses are losing money due to the virus and many people are losing their jobs as a result. The governments of the world are now sending out stimulus checks to support these people and businesses. But these checks differ from country to country, either due to the fact that they might not have been hit as hard as another country or as a result that the government doesn't have the money to give to the people. 

In Europe, stimulus checks are handled a bit differently than in the U.S. For example, Germany is heading towards the worst recession it’s had in 70 years. So far it’s had 7 million furloughed workers shows how bad the situation is. In the words of Chancellor Angela Merkel, “We must now succeed in boosting the economy.” So far the plan Germany has is to hand out 300 euros per child in a family.

U.S stimulus checks have left many Americans unhappy or wanting more compared to their European counterparts. For example, last year Congress sent out checks of $600 to Americans who made up to $75,000. The latest one is $600 per child and $1,200 for couples making up to $150,000 a year. However, in a survey conducted by USA Today, even some Americans who make $150,000 a year are still struggling and need another check to keep their financial situation stable.

As mentioned, stimulus checks are different for every country due to their different needs. And sometimes even then the people say the checks aren’t enough. For example, some U.S. families are getting $1,200 checks and are still struggling to keep their financial situations stable. In Germany, the economy is also being hit hard however the checks for the people are coming in greater amounts and more frequently. It is also being given out to more people in equal quantities rather than given to people who make a certain amount of money. 

Each country has different Covid restrictions and guidelines and each country has different stimulus checks that reflect the country’s economic situation and the situation of the people and thus means it’s difficult if one country is being unfair to its people or if they are being fair. It also makes comparing the checks difficult because of the different issues of each country.