The strategic objective is to integrate China into the world economy. The liberal international solution was trade, investment flows, and cultural exchanges. The rise of nationalism and China’s own willingness to flaunt the international rules are defeating the strategy. President Trump may suggest that China would prefer to negotiate with his main Democrat rival 18-months away from the election, by both Pelosi and...
Read More »Verschwörung gegen Schweiz: Was macht SNB?
„Verschwörung gegen die Schweiz?“ „Rekord-Wette von Spekulanten gegen Schweizer Franken.“ „Zur Zeit läuft die bisher grösste Währungs-Wette gegen den Schweizer Franken.“ So jüngst in Blick und Handelszeitung. Von 4 Milliarden Franken Short-Positionen gegen den Franken an der Börse in Chicago ist da die Rede. Und: Es seien dies Wetten auf die Schweizerische Nationalbank (SNB). Deren Chef Thomas Jordan habe beteuert, die...
Read More »Swiss workers open to the idea of raising retirement age
© Olena Yakobchuk | Dreamstime.com Employees Switzerland, an organisation representing Swiss workers, is resigned to the idea of raising the retirement age, according to Swiss broadcaster RTS. Speaking to the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag, Stefan Studer, director of the association, said raising the retirement age is inevitable because of the financial difficulties facing Switzerland’s state pension system, known as the...
Read More »The Normalization and Institutionalization of Fraud
Normalizing and institutionalizing fraud undermines the foundations of the economy and the financial system. I am indebted to Manoj Samanta (twitter: @flation_debate) for the insightful concept the commoditization of fraud. The first step in the commoditization of fraud is to normalize fraud as Business as Usual (BAU) to the point that it’s no longer viewed as “wrong,” destructive or an aberration of evil-doers but as...
Read More »Downward Mobility Matters More Than Liberal-Conservative Labels
The real heresy here is the American economy is now rigged for downward mobility. In the conventional narrative, one’s economic class is overshadowed by one’s political belief structure: liberal, conservative, libertarian, etc. In terms of economic class, the conventional narrative divides people into their ideological beliefs about economic ideologies: free market capitalism, socialism, etc. Economic class is one of...
Read More »Switzerland blacklisted by ILO
Delegates at the ILO’s annual conference in Geneva last year Employees who are active in trade unions are not sufficiently protected from being sacked in Switzerland, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The Geneva-based body has added Switzerland to a blacklist – just before a centenary conference in the Swiss city. The list comprises 40 countries that violate ILO conventions. Together with Greece...
Read More »Global Doves Expire: Fed Pause Fizzles (US Retail Sales)
Before the stock market’s slide beginning in early October, for most people they heard the economy was booming, the labor market was unbelievably good, an inflationary breakout just over the horizon. Jay Powell did as much as anyone to foster this belief, chief caretaker to the narrative. He and his fellow central bankers couldn’t use the word “strong” enough. After the market slide through Christmas Eve, everything...
Read More »Government performs fighter jet U-turn
A Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet lands during an assessment at the Swiss Army airbase in Payerne on April 30 The Federal Council has changed its approach to buying new combat aircraft and anti-aircraft missiles. Swiss voters will now be able to have a say only on the fighter jets, on which the government wants to spend no more than CHF6 billion ($5.95 billion). It has asked the defence ministry to present a planning...
Read More »FX Daily, May 17: China Questions US Sincerity
Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.04% at 1.1285 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, May 17(see more posts on EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: Since the presidential tweets on May 3, the US had the initiative in the negotiations with China, but today, China has pushed back. It is cool to the idea promoted by the US that trade talks will resume shortly. Now it may take the...
Read More »Swiss Labour Force Survey in 1st quarter 2019: 0.8percent increase in number of employed persons; unemployment rate based on ILO definition at 4.9percent
16.05.2019 – The number of employed persons in Switzerland rose by 0.8% between the 1st quarter 2018 and the 1st quarter 2019. During the same period, the unemployment rate as defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) declined from 5.2% to 4.9%. The EU’s unemployment rate decreased from 7.4% to 6.8%. These are some of the results from the Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS). Download press release: 1st...
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