On 3 December 2019, the OECD published the 2018 PISA scores for 79 countries. In Switzerland, around 6,000 school pupils born in 2002 from more than 200 school across Switzerland took the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) test. PISA, run every three years, assesses the extent to which 15-year-old students, near the end of […]
Swiss foreign work permit quotas maintained for 2020
Every year, Switzerland sets quotas for the number of work visas it issues to citizens outside the EU and EFTA. This week the government announced it would maintain the quota of 8,500 permits that was in place in 2018. In addition, it confirmed an earlier deal it struck with the UK to issue up to […]
1 in 10 Swiss hospitals face financial difficulty
Around one hospital in ten in Switzerland could end up in financial difficultly, according to a report by PWC. In addition, 37 of the 44 hospitals surveyed will not be profitable enough to remain competitive over the next five to ten years, predict the authors of the report. The shift towards more outpatient care instead […]
Number of jobs reaches all-time high in Switzerland
Unemployment rose in the third quarter of 2019, however, there have never been more jobs in Switzerland. The total number of jobs in Switzerland rose to 5.137 million at 30 September 2019, a level never seen before. The figure was 1.3% higher than at 30 September 2018 and 0.3% higher than 30 June 2019. And […]
Compensating victims of Switzerland’s administrative detention ahead of schedule
Up until 1981, the Swiss authorities imprisoned thousands of people who were not tried for any crime, under a procedure known as administrative detention. 60,000 were imprisoned in this way, often for years at a time, according to an estimate published by RTS. Referred to as a kind of compulsory welfare, people, including men, women […]
Federal Council paves way for VAT refund on Billag fee
At its meeting on 27 November 2019, the Federal Council set out its plan for the refund of value-added tax (VAT) on Switzerland’s radio and television licence, formerly known as Billag. Between 2010 and 2015, VAT was charged on Swiss television and radio licences. The Federal Tribunal, Switzerland’s highest court, has stated in two judgments […]
Antibiotic resistance – Swiss researchers make a breakthrough
Some life-threatening bacteria are becoming resistant to existing antibiotics. Swiss researchers at the University of Zurich recently discovered a new class of antibiotics that is able to attack a particularly treatment-resistant class of bacteria known as Gram-negative bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria have an extra outer membrane, which makes them hard to attack. This protective outer layer […]
You’re in the army now: an expat recruit’s experience in Switzerland’s militia
This article was first published on Global Geneva As one of Europe’s most culturally mixed immigrant nations, Switzerland is witnessing the rise of a steadily growing group of citizens known as the ‘new’ Swiss. These are citizens of expatriate background, some born in Switzerland, others not, ranging from Kosovars and Spanish to British, Americans, Bangladeshis and […]
How an average Swiss household spends its income
Recently published figures show that average (mean) monthly household income in Switzerland in 2017 was CHF 9,917 (US$ 9,963). This is equal to CHF 119,004 (US$ 119,554) a year. Income is made up of salary income (CHF 6,320; 64%), freelance income (CHF 984; 10%), investment income (CHF 494; 5%) and money from the government (CHF […]
Extinction Rebellion blocks private jet terminal in Geneva
Over the weekend, members of the group Extinction Rebellion blocked passenger access to Geneva airport’s private jet terminal for two and a half hours. The Facebook video above shows part of the protest. One of the roughly 100 participants described private jet travel as “absurd”. A tiny portion of the population is having an excessive […]
