Switzerland’s push to meet its climate targets is colliding with a severe housing shortage. In French-speaking regions, large-scale evictions linked to energy renovations are becoming more common, leaving hundreds of tenants scrambling for new homes, reports RTS. In Geneva, 107 tenants on Boulevard Carl-Vogt received termination notices in January, reported the broadcaster. In Lausanne, 16 […]
Swiss government waters down nursing reforms
Switzerland’s lower house has watered down plans to improve working conditions for nurses, despite a looming staff shortage. Meeting in special session, the Swiss National Council diluted several elements of a government reform tied to the nursing-care initiative approved by voters in 2021. Lawmakers rejected a proposal to cut the maximum working week for nurses […]
New EU employment rules could be costly for Switzerland
A planned overhaul of unemployment rules for cross-border workers in the European Union could prove costly for Switzerland. Ambassadors from EU member states have backed a change that would shift responsibility for unemployment benefits from a worker’s country of residence to the country where they were last employed. Under the current system, in place since […]
Swiss government wants more Sunday shopping
For newcomers from much of the rest of the world, shopping in Switzerland can come as a surprise. Limited weekend trading and early closing hours have earned the country a nickname among some expatriates: “Shutzerland”. The Federal Council now wants to loosen the rules slightly, reported SRF. It supports allowing shops to open on up […]
Swiss exports weakest in 5 years
Swiss trade weakened at the start of 2026. Exports fell by 4.2% in the first quarter, compared with the previous three months, to CHF 66.9bn, according to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS). That is their lowest level since late 2021. There were signs of a rebound in March. Seasonally adjusted exports […]
Swiss commission backs construction of new nuclear power plants
A parliamentary commission narrowly backed allowing the construction of new nuclear power plants in Switzerland. By 13 votes to 12, the Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy endorsed an amendment to the nuclear energy law, reported SRF. The commission’s position aligns with the indirect counter-proposal from the Federal Council and the Council of […]
Swiss wages surge ahead of inflation
Nominal wages in Switzerland rose rise by an average of 1.8% in 2025, with real wages increasing by 1.6%. Swiss purchasing power therefore grew for a second consecutive year. Wage growth picked up noticeably in 2025 and, for the first time in years, more was retained in real terms as inflation remained subdued. According to […]
How Switzerland’s population has changed in 50 years
As Switzerland debates the “No to a 10-million Switzerland” initiative backed by the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), it is worth setting the country’s demographic trajectory in a broader European context. Switzerland’s population has expanded rapidly. Over the past half-century, it has recorded the third-fastest growth rate in western Europe, behind only Luxembourg and Ireland. The […]
Switzerland uneasy about pressure from Washington over its monetary policy
According to various media reports, the Federal Council has summoned Martin Schlegel, president of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), for talks. At issue are the bank’s interventions in currency markets, which the United States has long viewed with suspicion. A March 31st deadline set by Washington for concluding a trade agreement with Bern has come […]
Swiss consumer sentiment reaches lowest level in over a year
In March the index compiled by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) dropped by 12.5 points to –42.9, compared with February 2026. That marks a decline of 8.1 points from the same month a year earlier. The fall leaves sentiment at its weakest since early 2024. The downturn appears to reflect rising geopolitical uncertainty. […]
