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Investors head to Germany despite euro-zone crisis

CHICAGO (MarketWatch)-- Foreign direct investment in Germany increased by almost 7% in 2011, even in the face of the euro-zone crisis, according to a report released Friday by Ernst & Young. Germany, top-ranked among European countries, has left the continent behind in foreign direct investment; its most important competitors are now the U.S. and China in terms of attracting the most foreign investment, according to Ernst & Young. Sixty percent of international managers surveyed expect that Germany's attractiveness will increase. "Our outstanding infrastructure, qualified workplace and stability make Germany one of the top global destinations for foreign investment," said Juergen Friedrich, chief executive of Germany Trade & Invest in Berlin. The German job market is indicative of the country's relative robustness: 43% more jobs were created in 2011 than in 2010, and 40% of those polled in the Ernst & Young "Business Location Germany 2012 poll" consider German R&D and innovation capacity to be "outstanding." However, the Euro crisis could still affect German markets, as 59% of the country's exports go to EU countries.