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FRANKFURT -- Throughout the election, jobs and the economy have been the number one issue for most Americans. With 12.3 million people in the United States out of work, many are looking for jobs wherever they can.
In some cases, that means accepting a job overseas. Kyle Miller is a corporate and securities attorney from Utah working at a large firm in Frankfurt, Germany.
"That was really my goal," said Miller. "I wanted to work at a big firm. I wanted that experience."
Miller graduated from the University of Utah and NYU with stellar grades. But he had a hard time finding a job in the U.S.
"I looked everywhere, sent out probably 50 applications a week," he said.
Utahn Timothy Price had a similar experience.
"Out of an embarrassing sum of applications, some 80, I received two inquires back," Price said.
Since Price studied linguistics, he was thrilled to receive a research position in Frankfurt comparing ancient texts and programming computers to recognize the language.
"You have to keep your eye open and look for whatever opportunity comes," he said.
So why are Americans like these finding more opportunities in Germany? For one thing, Germany's unemployment rate is 6.5 percent compared to America's 7.9.
With an extremely low birthrate, Germany actively pursues high-skilled foreign workers to replace its shrinking workforce. Plus, many German cities have global atmospheres that cater to Americans.
Frankfurt is a very international city with a major European airport and a huge banking industry. In some ways it's kind of like a New York or London. In fact, because the river there is called the Main, some have even dubbed the city "Mainhattan."
"You walk down the streets of Frankfurt and you hear English more than anything else," said Miller.
Miller's boss says Americans also seem to be seeking more international jobs, perhaps to prove themselves marketable in a weak economy.
"We're definitely getting significantly more applications from U.S. lawyers," said Mark Strach, partner at Freshfields, Bruckhaus, Deringer.
Whatever the reasons, these Americans say they're happy they landed where they did.
"I feel there is opportunity here," said Price. "I can see myself staying here for awhile."
Miller agreed. "It's been really just a fantastic experience," he said.
It's possible U.S. companies may also have a larger presence overseas right now. The partner at the law firm in Frankfurt said he's noticed every time the economy slows down, American companies don't want to be solely dependent on the U.S. market so they tend to expand abroad.
