Germany plans to postpone the liberalization of its labor market for Romanians and Bulgarians. High unemployment rates caused by the economic crisis might push German authorities to take such a measure, German Labor minister Olaf Scholz announced.

He declared that due to the current economic climate, such an idea was not the best. He underlined that Germany had no intention to isolate themselves but the global economic problems increasingly threatened to affect the German market.

Scholtz added that the liberalization of the market for Eastern Europeans, initially planned for 2011-2013 must be gradual. He said that there were plenty of qualified Eastern Europeans who have access to the German market.