Six Swiss regions make the top ten most prosperous regions of Europe measured in terms of GDP per person, according to an analysis by the University of Lausanne. The six Swiss regions are Zurich (3rd), Ticino (4th), Basel (5th), the region around Zug (6th), Bern-Solothurn (7th) and Suisse romande, Switzerland French-speaking region (8th). The only […]
Blatant age discrimination in Swiss job advert causes a stir
20 Minutes. While a recent job advertisement placed in a Swiss newspaper is not specific on gender, it makes it very clear that it doesn’t want anyone over the age of 50, or under the age of 25. The advertisement was placed by an organisation called Bureau des Métiers in Sion. The offending advert is also on the company’s […]
New 20 Swiss franc note officially launched
The Swiss National Bank is the process of issuing new bank notes. A new 50 franc note hit the streets last year. Now it is the new 20 franc note’s turn. Officially launched today, it will enter circulation on 17 May 2017. A photograph of the note was posted on Facebook by Bilan: The new red note, designed […]
Unemployment falls in Switzerland
Figures published on 9 May 2017 by SECO, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, show a fall in the number of unemployed in Switzerland. At the end of April 2017, there were 146,330 people registered as unemployed, 5,950 fewer than the month before, reducing the rate of unemployment from 3.4% to 3.3%. Unemployment across […]
Swiss wine consumption declines to 40 bottles per person
Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) statistics show a decline in Swiss wine consumption in 2016. Swiss residents consumed less rosé, less white and less red wine. Total consumption in 2016 was 253 million litres, down from 262 million litres in 2015, a drop of 4%. This follows drops of 2% in 2014 and 1% in […]
Easyjet expands in Geneva adding a new aircraft
20 Minutes. On Friday, Easyjet added a 14th aircraft to its Geneva-based fleet. The new Airbus A320 will allow it to add new destinations. The new aircraft will create 36 new jobs on top of the current 500 at the airline’s Geneva base, Thomas Haagensen, Easyjet’s director of northern Europe, told Le Matin Dimanche. Last year, the […]
Unemployment benefit scam rocks Vaud
24 Heures. Last week, the regional newspaper 24 Heures, uncovered a fraudulent scheme allegedly involving two workers from the union Unia, which may have cost Vaud’s social security system as much as CHF 3 million. The alleged fraud is centred on the construction industry, where bosses of small businesses along with two staff from the […]
Thousands of cross-border workers risk big bills for health insurance
Tribune de Genève. Thousands of cross-border workers working in the canton of Geneva, who have not yet formally sorted out their health insurance situation, risk getting a big bill. This week the canton made a final call to those living in France and working in Geneva to make a formal choice between the French and […]
Insects now on Swiss menus
Last year, Switzerland’s federal government announced plans to authorise the commercialisation of insects and worms as domestic food products, and the new law came into effect this week on 1 May 2017. According to 24 Heures, supermarket Coop will launch a new range of insect-based products this month. High in protein, insects come with a […]
New Swiss company tax reform plan well received in Brussels
The Swiss government’s company tax reform plans have been reborn after the last plan met with defeat in a popular vote on 12 February 2017. The new plan, dubbed “Tax proposal 17”, aims to avoid issues that bedeviled the last project. Last time many were concerned by the potential financial impact of lower company tax rates, and […]
