In the second quarter of 2019, the percentage of Switzerland’s population working rose by 1.1% and the percentage unemployed fell to 4.2%, based on the higher International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) measure. In the second quarter of 2019, 5.1 million people were working in Switzerland, 60% of the population. The number working rose 1.1% compared to […]
Archives for 2019
Swiss government approves measures to cut healthcare costs
Swiss healthcare is expensive and most of it is paid directly by individuals (69%). Only the US has a more expensive healthcare system, according to Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office. The political pressure on Switzerland’s government to address the problem has been intensifying for some time. This week, the federal government announced nine measures to cut […]
Swiss health insurers to send patients to pharmacy first
Swiss healthcare is typically ranked the world’s second most expensive, as a percentage of GDP, after the US. In Switzerland, compulsory health insurance premiums cover 37% of healthcare costs. Much of the rest is covered by tax payers and non-reimbursable out-of-pocket payments by individuals. As part of a plan to reduce costs, this week, the […]
Swiss fact: Ritalin was invented in Switzerland
The drug Ritalin sometimes given to people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy was first formulated in Switzerland. In 1944, Leandro Panizzon synthesized methylphenidate in Basel while working for CIBA (now Novartis). He tested the drug on himself and his wife Marguerite, nicknamed Rita. Rita played tennis and the drug improved her performance […]
Switzerland’s most popular names in 2018
In Switzerland one name really stands out. At the end of 2018, 82,577 people called Maria were living in Switzerland, almost twice the number with the second most popular female name Anna (41,582), according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office. Maria’s secret to success is partly its historical appeal across all of Switzerland’s linguistic […]
Asylum requests down in Switzerland
The latest figures on second quarter asylum requests in Switzerland show a drop of 11% compared to the same quarter in 2018. In the second quarter of 2019, there were 3,347 requests, according to the government. Eritrea, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka were the three leading countries of origin. In June, Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration […]
Excessive nitrate levels found in Swiss ground water
A recent study found excessive levels of nitrates in 15% to 20% of underground water samples in Switzerland, according to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Underground water is the source of most of Switzerland’s (80%) drinking water. The data was collected at 600 water testing sites between 2007 and 2017. In 2014, 15% […]
Survey of Swiss politicians shows growing support for extending carbon tax
An analysis of data from Smartvote done by Swiss broadcaster RTS shows how the views politicians hold on a carbon tax on fuel have shifted between 2015 and 2019. When asked whether carbon tax should be extended cover diesel and gasoline 52% of the 73 parliamentarians questioned in 2015 were against the idea. When questioned recently, […]
Lights out – most of Geneva to switch off street lights in September
In addition to making it difficult to see stars, artificial light has a negative effect on the natural biological rhythm of plants and animals. It also affects human health and consumes energy, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. In response to this the Natural History Museum of Geneva, the Geneva Astronomy Society and others came up […]
Violent debris flow sweeps away two people in a car in Switzerland
Last Sunday, a debris flow following a torrential downpour swept away a car containing a 37 year old man and a 6 year old child, according to various media. CLOSE call with a debris flow in Chamoson, Switzerland today, August 11th! Report: Jérémy Monnet / Météo Mettra – Météo Alpes Suisse France pic.twitter.com/iNQH6hMVI9 — severe-weather.EU […]
