Switzerland offers workers the possibility of obtaining professional qualifications while working. Around 27,500 people graduate from these federally recognised higher vocational education programmes every year. Six years after graduating from these programmes the median income for a full-time job is about CHF 7,800 per month, compared with the CHF 5,300 received five years before obtaining […]
Rules on Swiss wills to change in 2023
In Switzerland, limits are placed on what people can put into a will. Currently, a minimum of a quarter of a person’s assets must be left to a surviving spouse and at least 3/8ths to any children or their descendants. Someone in Switzerland dying without a will before 31 December 2022 will have their assets […]
Sharp rise in mental health problems among girls and young women in Switzerland
Data published by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO) this week show a sharp rise in the number of young people being admitted to hospital for mental and behavioural disorders in 2020 and 2021. Between 2020 and 2021, hospital admissions for mental and behavioural disorders rose by 26% among girls and young women aged 10 to […]
European court rules against Swiss gender discrimination
Recently, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favour of Max Beeler, a man who challenged Switzerland on gender based discrimination related to widowers pension payments. Under current rules widows receive pension payments related to their children for their entire life. Widowers on the other hand receive them only until their children reach the […]
Vast majority of Swiss mums in paid work in 2021
In 2021, 82% of mothers in Switzerland were economically active, according to data published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) this week. The rate of mothers working in 2021 (82%) was 22 percentage points higher than it was in 1991 (60%). At the same time fathers were not working at a significantly lower rate. In […]
Switzerland’s ETH Zurich remains top university on the continent
Switzerland has two Federal universities. ETH Zurich, famous for educating Einstein, and the far newer EPF Lausanne. This year ETH Zurich remained the highest ranking university in continental Europe, according to Times Higher Education. Ranked 11th globally, ETH Zurich was the highest ranked university in Europe beyond the UK. In Europe including the UK it […]
No change in most popular Swiss names in 2021
In 2021, the most popular baby names in Switzerland were Mia for girls and Noah for boys. Mia is a long time favourite, scoring the top spot in 2019, 2020 and 2021. And Noah has had a good run in the top spot for boys. It came top in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 […]
Men continue to dominate the leadership of state companies in Switzerland
An article published by RTS presents data that shows men outnumber women among the leaders of 20 of Switzerland’s 26 largest state affiliated companies. Like in much of the developed world politicians in Switzerland are pushing to get more women into top spots. Switzerland’s Federal Council has said it aims to have 40% of leadership […]
French speaking politicians not always understood in Bern
Switzerland has four national languages but most of the population is fluent in only one of them. When politicians come together in Bern they generally speak in their home language assuming others present understand them, even if they cannot really speak the language spoken. This week, Pierre Nebel, a reporter at RTS, explored the level […]
Federal government aims to make Swiss childcare cheaper
Switzerland has the world’s fourth most expensive childcare according to UNICEF. The federal government is working on a package of financial subsidies costing CHF 530 million a year to reduce the cost to parents, reported RTS. A 2021 UNCEF study of childcare in rich nations ranks Switzerland as having the fourth most unaffordable childcare, a […]
