With the celebration over, attention has shifted to the cost of the Fête des vignerons, Vevey’s once-in-25-year winegrowers festival. As the bills come in it looks like the festival will make a loss of CHF 16 million, according to the François Margot, who was interviewed by the newspaper 24 heures. Fête des Vignerons: “Le manque […]
The remarkable rise of Switzerland’s GDP per capita
In 1998, GDP per person in Switzerland was CHF 59,693. Recently published statistics put the figure at CHF 80,986 in 2018, a rise of 36%. When Swiss GDP per capita is expressed in globally comparable US dollar terms its rise is even greater. In US dollar terms Swiss GDP per capita grew from US$ 41,497 […]
New 100 Swiss franc note coming soon
Recently, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) unveiled the new 100 franc banknote. The note’s design is inspired by Switzerland’s tradition of humanitarianism, represented on the note by water. The note remains blue but is much smaller than the existing one, making it easier to fit into wallets. The note is the last one in Switzerland’s ninth series […]
Swiss trade with much of South America should soon be tariff free
A deal agreed between EFTA and the South American Mercosur bloc, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, with a combined population of 260 million, is close to signing. EFTA includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Under the deal, 95% of Switzerland’s CHF 3.6 million annual exports to the bloc would be tariff free. The […]
Most Swiss election candidates favour raising retirement age to 67
A majority of the candidates putting themselves forward for election as federal parliamentarians on 20 October 2019 favour raising Switzerland’s retirement age to 67, according to a survey done by Smartvote and reported in the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag. This could produce a parliamentary majority on the issue after the federal election. Switzerland’s official retirement […]
Swiss research leads to cancer break through
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute recently deciphered the structure of the CC chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7), a signaling protein. Cancer cells use CCR7 to guide themselves into the lymphatic system, spreading cancer throughout the body. The resulting secondary tumors, called metastases, are responsible for most cancer deaths. This new understanding of CCR7 is a […]
Work related stress rising in Switzerland
Work-related stress is affecting more and more people in Switzerland, according to a study published by the Federal Statistical Office. In 2012, 18% said they felt stressed at work most of the time. By 2017, the same figure had risen to 21%. Nine potential drivers of on-the-job stress were looked at. Only 11% said they […]
Swiss unemployment down in second quarter of 2019
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 […]
EU court rejects Swiss union criticism
Criticism of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) by Swiss unions intensified in 2007 after the Court ruled against workers in the Laval case in Sweden. Latvian workers were being paid less than the minimum wage on a construction site in Sweden. In protest, local workers blockaded the site. However, the CJEU […]
Four football bosses accused of fraud by Swiss Attorney General
Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has accused three former officials of the German Football Association (DFB) and one from FIFA of fraud and has filed an indictment against them. Horst Rudolf Schmidt, Theo Zwanziger and Wolfgang Niersbach, from the DFB, and Urs Linsi, a former Swiss FIFA official are all under the spotlight. […]
