A couple of posters hinted at it but I really think that the Bush presidency was AWFUL for your economy (and the country in general), and it's amazing that so few people talk about TWO wars as a big cause for a bad economy. hell I don't even know how many talked about the financial crisis.
Something similar with Europe is too much technology for jobs and too much outsourcing (because jobs are cheaper abroad, and businesses care about profits and not about who is doing the job). A big difference is education seemingly, as here in Europe people are often TOO qualified for their job and are too expensive or feel entitled to more. But if y'all mean education as "training for specific jobs" then I agree, unemployment is big in Europe but many positions cannot be filled because few people get professional training.