Economy
East Frisia is a rural area. However, there are some industrial sites like the largest industrial complex which is the Volkswagen car factory in Emden. Leer is, after Hamburg, the second most important location for shipping companies in Germany. Although just on the other side of the border to Emsland, the Meyer Werft is an important employer for East Frisians as well. Main industrial sites are the harbour towns of Emden and Leer, and Wilhelmshaven east of East Frisia.
Around 1900, many people left East Frisia due to lack of jobs and emigrated to the United States or elsewhere. Today the region is again suffering from the loss of young educated people, who go away to find better employment in, for example, southern Germany. Many communities face a rising number of aged people, creating structural problems in the future. There are few academic jobs in the area, and those are focused on engineering. The closest universities are in Oldenburg and Groningen.
Read more about this topic: East Frisia
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