Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Banks in Switzerland reduced their domestic workforce by 4.1 percent in the first half as companies combined and made cost cuts to stem declining profitability, a survey by the nation’s main bank association showed. The loss totals 3,454 jobs, the Swiss Bankers Association said in its annual industry report […]
European and Swiss stocks higher on bank rally
2 September 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The Swiss Market Index, along with other European markets, is trading slightly higher this week after financials rallied on merger and acquisition rumors and hopes for improved growth. European banks, the industry group battered the most so far this year, lead gains […]
Expats in Switzerland aren’t feeling the love, says a new survey measuring quality of life
By Bill Harby In some ways, Switzerland is the envy of the world, which brings expats here from around the globe, hoping to ski, eat superb chocolate and open their very own Swiss bank account. In fact, now nearly 25 percent of people living in Switzerland are foreigners, says the Swiss Statistics Office. That’s a […]
Swiss say they underestimated Easyjet in Geneva
Tribune de Genève. The managing director of french-speaking Switzerland for the airline Swiss, Lorenzo Stoll, admits to errors in their strategy to win back Geneva. “We should not hide it, we attempted to move too fast” he said. Adding “We clearly underestimated the challenges of taking on Easyjet”. Easyjet is by far the largest operator at […]
Heavy penalty imposed on reckless speeder in Switzerland
20 Minutes. A man of 33 was caught travelling at over 230 km/h on the A7 motorway in Switzerland near Weinfelden in the canton of Thurgau. According to the newspaper Thurgauer Zeitung, his children were in the back seat without proper child seats. The driver, who was caught travelling at 231 km/h at the end […]
Geneva’s Jet d’eau turns 125
Geneva’s famous icon turns 125 this year. Inaugurated in 1891 for the federal gymnastics festival, it was illuminated a few days later for the 600th anniversary of the Swiss confederation. When it first opened it reached a height of 90 metres. In 1951, Services Industriels de Genève (SIG) opened an electrically powered pump system that pushes […]
Poll shows over 70 percent of Swiss want to ban full veils
Tribune de Genève. In March 2016, a group known as the Egerkingen committee, started the process of collecting the 100,000 signatures required to launch a federal referendum to ban the wearing of full veils in Switzerland. The Egerkingen committee, or Egerkinger Komittee, made the news in 2009, when a referendum it launched to ban the […]
Despite the exposure to seismic risk, few Swiss homeowners take out earthquake insurance
According to reinsurer, Swiss Re, over three quarters of private buildings in Switzerland have no earthquake coverage. Because earthquakes are rare and are quickly forgotten, public risk perception is low. Even Switzerland, with its well developed insurance culture is no exception. Swiss Re describes Switzerland as a country with a medium seismic hazard. The strongest […]
Earthquake risk in Switzerland is real says geologist
24 Heures. After the tragic earthquake in Italy, some are wondering if something similar could happen in Switzerland. Speaking to the newspaper 24 Heures, geologist Raphaël Mayoraz, says “People tend to forget, but our country has already experienced earthquakes of 6 or more.” The Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich completed ten years of […]
Market round up – all eyes on Jackson Hole
26 August 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The Swiss Market Index along with global stocks are trading flat this week ahead of Federal Reserve’s Janet Yellen’s Friday speech at the central bank’s annual Jackson Hole Summit. The Federal Chairwoman’s speech at the meeting of central bank governors in […]
