Germany is very "employer friendly". German companies also do not provide healthcare for their employees, the govt. does..........However, an average German employee making over $40k a year will pay upwards of 70% of their gross income in taxes.
42% income tax on incomes over $39k
19% Sales Tax
Employee Health Insurance: 15.5% of employee's gross earnings
For the sake of factual accuracy, I would point out that German employers do indeed contribute to their employee's healthcare coverage. The difference is that rather than the employer paying into a managed, private health plan, the employer pays their portion of the employee premiums into a government run health-plan (for almost all employees). It is true, however, that the employer insurance premium contributions in Germany are generally much lower than the contributions paid by their American competitors.
“42% income tax on incomes over $39k
19% Sales Tax
Employee Health Insurance: 15.5% of employee’s gross earnings”