Tag Archives: Business & Economy

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. © 72soul | Dreamstime.com 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 the French and Italian speaking regions averaged 4.3%, materially higher than in German speaking Switzerland where the rate was 2.9%. The...

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. Lavaux Switzerland – © minnystock | Dreamstime.com 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 2015, a total decline of nearly 7% over three years. The 2016 figure equates to 40 bottles per resident. When those 19 years old...

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. © Tommy Beattie | Dreamstime.com 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 airline flew 900,000 more people from Switzerland than it did in 2015. Part of the growth is due to the progressive replacement of...

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. © Steve Woods | Dreamstime.com The alleged fraud is centred on the construction industry, where bosses of small businesses along with two staff from the union Unia managed to deceive the canton’s unemployment fund. According to an ongoing criminal enquiry, around CHF 3 million was...

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. © Steve Woods | Dreamstime.com The alleged fraud is centred on the construction industry, where bosses of small businesses along with two staff from the union Unia managed to deceive the canton’s unemployment fund. According to an ongoing criminal enquiry, around CHF 3 million was...

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. © Pogonici | Dreamstime.com 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 Swiss health systems, something which must be done before the final deadline on 30 September 2017. The requirement applies beyond those working in...

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. © Pogonici | Dreamstime.com 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 Swiss health systems, something which must be done before the final deadline on 30 September 2017. The requirement applies beyond those working in...

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 low carbon footprint and resource requirement. Insect meatballs – Source: Coop Coop is working with the startup Essento, which has spent three years...

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. © Miriam Doerr | Dreamstime.com Last time many were concerned by the potential financial impact of lower company tax rates, and the proposal was rejected by 59.1% of voters. This time the government wants to ensure the greatest possible degree of transparency in...

The official French presidential election results place Emmanuel Macron (23.8%) and Marine Le Pen (21.5%) in first and second places in the first round of the French presidential race. The run off between these two will take place on 7 May 2017, when most forecasters expect Macron to win and become France’s next president. How votes are expected to split between MACRON and LE PEN in the 2nd round. This according to Ifop polling on Friday: #Presidentielle2017 pic.twitter.com/OzW5EFGXiI —...