Tag Archives: Business & Economy

On 21 March 2024, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) lowered its key interest rate from 1.75% to 1.5%. © J0hnb0y | Dreamstime.comThe move makes the SNB the first significant central bank to lower rates as inflation slows. The cut surprised many analysts and economists. The consensus expectation was for no change in the rate. Many other central banks have left rates unchanged. On 20 March 2024, the US Fed decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 5.25% to 5.5%. And...

Brought to you by quitt.business.   For startups and small companies, hiring and onboarding new employees can be a real hassle. In Switzerland especially, there is a significant amount of admin to deal with. The following is a guide to all the tasks involved in this process. © Sasa Mihajlovic | Dreamstime.comA summarised list of the administrative tasks associated with hiring a new employee are set out below: Create an employment contract Register for social security taxes with...

After two increases in a row the reference interest rate used for adjusting rents remains unchanged this quarter. Photo by Expect Best on Pexels.comAfter two rises from 1.25% to 1.75% last year, many tenants in Switzerland will be breathing a sigh of relief. Many economists forecast no increases in the rate this year. Every quarter the rate of interest used to set the rents in Switzerland is reviewed. If it goes down some renters have the right to request a decrease in rent. If it...

Much of the progress being made in AI is captured within private companies aiming to keep it to themselves in order to profit from it. Open AI, a project started as an open-source non-profit has morphed into a largely closed-source profit-maximising project increasingly integrated into the software company Microsoft. Many see open-source as critical to the healthy development of AI. A super computer combined with the knowhow of Switzerlands world-leading federal universities could help to...

The number of people unemployed in Switzerland rose by more than most economists expected in January 2024. Photo by energepic.com on Pexels.comThe rate at the end of January rose to 2.5%, up from 2.3% at the end of 2023, reported the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). A group of economists predicted it would be between 2.2% to 2.5%, placing the actual figure at the top end of expectations. However, the rate remains low by historical standards. And some of the...

This week, a survey was published setting out issues of greatest concern to the Swiss public. Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Pexels.comThe five biggest issues cited by the Swiss population are of a monetary nature. Economic concerns haverisen, leaving issues such as climate change in sixth place. The top concern is healthcare costs and health insurance premiums. 41.8% were worried about this. This is the leading concern across all age groups, including those under 30 who are typically...

Purchasing power has been hit much less in Switzerland than in other European nations. Between 2020 and 2023 food prices went up 6% in Switzerland. The same figure in Germany (+17%), UK (+40%) and Estonia (+43%) is much higher. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comAt the same time, big ticket items like health insurance and rent have made a big dent in Swiss budgets. These more visible prices rises have created a perception that overall costs have risen more than they actually have. This...

Changes to Swiss law on renting recently passed by parliament have met with public resistance. This week, enough signatures were collected to trigger a vote aimed at overturning the work of parliament on rental law reform, according to RTS. Apartment Switzerland © mikechapazzo | Dreamstime.comThe two changes, which would make it easier for landlords to move into their own properties and require written approval to sublet, are viewed by some as a cynical move to weaken the hand of tenants....

More than seven years after a slim majority (51.9%) of the UK electorate voted to leave the EU, Switzerland and the UK have agreed a deal that clears the way to more open cooperation in the financial services sector, helping to restore the pre-Brexit arrangement between the two nations. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comOn Thursday, Switzerland and the UK announced an agreement to improve trade in financial services between the two nations, reported RTS. Although Switzerland is not an EU...

On 14 December 2023, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) said it was ending its interest rate tightening cycle after a clear slowdown in inflation. © David Taljat | Dreamstime.comWith inflation rising more slowly than the central bank’s 2% ceiling (it was 1.4% in November 2023), the SNB left its key interest rate at 1.75% for a second consecutive meeting. While the SNB is still willing to intervene in currency markets by buying and selling Swiss francs, Jordan said that can go in both...