© Nyul | Dreamstime.comBerlin’s economy and labor market is in a difficult situation. Like no other German city, the once divided metropolis still struggles with the after-effects of the Cold War.

Yet it’s remark­able how much has been accomplished over the last fifteen years. German reunification in October 1990 finally freed Berlin from its island-like position.

Until then, no foreign company had its German headquarters there.

Yet as early as 1999, about one-third of the world’s fifty biggest trusts began to dis­cover Berlin, including DaimlerChrysler and Coca-Cola.

The latest newcomer to Berlin is Universal Music who moved here from Hamburg in 2002. The twenty internationally networked Berlin technology and founders’ centers are particularly attractive for foreign companies.

Another milestone for Berlin’s economy was the eastern expansion of the European Community in 2004. Berlin has become a main junction of unified Europe.