Data published on 10 February 2022, show that one year after completion of tertiary education 93% of Switzerland’s graduates were employed in a job that matched their level of education or professional qualifications. The survey, aimed at assessing the level of mismatch between education and employment, found that success at finding a job matching qualifications […]
More women at head of large Swiss companies
The percentage of women in senior management positions at companies listed on the Swiss SMI and SMIM indexes rose from 13% in 2020 to 19% in 2021. The rise reflects an increase in the number of women being nominated for these positions in 2021. During the year 4 out of 10 nominees were women, according […]
Swiss exports soar to a new record in 2021
In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic weighed heavily on Swiss foreign trade. But in 2021, exports bounced back, rising 15.2% to reach a record high of CHF 260 billion. The sharp jump in exports in 2021 caused Switzerland’s trade surplus to reach CHF 58.7 billion, despite rising imports, which were pushed up by rising energy prices […]
Switzerland remains in top 10 for lowest corruption
Switzerland was ranked tenth in the latest 2021 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) published by Transparency International this week. The index ranks 180 countries and territories around the world by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, with results ranging from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). This year’s index reveals that corruption levels are at […]
Price of wood pellets rises sharply in Switzerland
The price of wood pellets in Switzerland is up 20% over the last 12 months, according to Patrick Schmutz, a wood pellet expert, reports RTS. According to Schmutz, the price rise is due to a cold 12 months, especially last spring, and the success of wood pellet heating. More and more pellet-based heating systems are […]
Vote against Swiss “Netflix tax” passes signature hurdle
In October 2021, Switzerland’s government created a law requiring online streaming services to pay money into a Swiss cinema fund. Under the law, from 2024, streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ will need to pay a levy equivalent to 4% of their Swiss turnover into the fund, which would be spent on producing Swiss […]
New Swiss company tax rate set for 2024
On 12 January 2022, the Federal Council decided to implement the minimum tax rate for companies that was agreed by the OECD and G20 member states last year. The 15% minimum tax rate is to come into force on 1 January 2024. The new minimum 15% tax rate, which will apply to multinational companies with […]
US court rejects Swiss Gruyere cheese challenge
In Switzerland, Gruyère is a cheese with a strict recipe originally produced in a region (with a town) of the same name in the Swiss canton of Fribourg. On 7 January 2022, a judge at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia affirmed a ruling by the U.S. Patent and Trademark […]
Cost of Swiss postage hiked for first time in 18 years
From 1 January 2022, the cost of posting a standard letter for next day delivery (A-class) is 10% higher and a B-class letter 6% higher. These price hikes are the first of their kind in 18 years, reported RTS. The cost of posting a standard A-class letter is now CHF 1.10, up from CHF 1.00, […]
Swiss government to support three hydro projects
On December 2021, the Swiss government allocated CHF 45.4 million to three hydro projects. Switzerland’s electricity production was once dominated by hydro. In 1970, 90% of the electricity produced in Switzerland was generated using hydro. The remainder came from nuclear (5%) and fossil fuels (5%). Roll forward to 2020 and hydro makes up only 58% […]
