Germany primarily reacted to low-wage competition from ex-communist countries. Currently, the average wage of the ten countries that joined the EU in May 2004 is about one-seventh of the West German wage level, and the Chinese wage is one twenty-fifth.
德国原本是出于对来自前社会主义国家的低工资竞争做出回应。目前，2004年五月加入欧盟的十国平均工资大约是西德工资水平的七分之一，中国工资是其二十五分之一。