Published: 5 May, 2021 CET.Updated: Wed 5 May 2021 10:47 CET
Egg producers and members of FNSEA and JA agricultural unions fill carts with products made with non French eggs, to offer them to customers, at a supermarket in Saint-Sebastien-Sur-Loire on February 17, 2021. - Unionists protest against the low cost of purchasing of their products by mass distribution. (Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP)
Find out what's going on today in Switzerland with The Local's short roundup of the news.
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More cross-border workers are employed in Switzerland
The number of border employees has grown steadily since the Free Movement of Persons agreement between Switzerland and the EU went into effect in 2002, according to new figures released by the Federal Statistical Office.
As the chart below shows, the overwhelming majority (55.2 percent) comes from France, followed by Italy (23.5 percent) and Germany (18.1 percent).
Despite a shortfall of almost 2 billion francs due to the pandemic, the cost public transportation tickets will remain the same in 2022, said the SwissPass Alliance, which brings together 250 transport companies and 18 fare communities.
On some segments, the price will actually drop from December 12th, a traditional day when the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB/SFF/FFS) publish their new timetable for the coming year.
In addition, it is planned to expand the supersaver range, allowing travellers to purchase discounted upgrades for certain connections online.
A train of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB / CFF / FFS) Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
Looking for a high-position job? Become an astronaut.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is advertising an unusual job vacancy on Swiss online recruitment site, jobup.ch.
“The European Space Agency is looking for professionals who are able to conduct spaceflight missions to low Earth orbit and the Moon”, the ad states.
ESA then goes on to explain that the position is that of a “Parastronaut”, that is, a person with a physical disability to investigate “the feasibility of bringing, for the first time in history, an astronaut with a physical disability into space to perform professional duties”.
The ad then lists the qualifications, as well as disabilities, that a successful candidate for space missions should have.
More information, as well as an explanation about how candidates from Switzerland should apply, can be found here.
Swiss households are spending money again
As of April 2021, consumer spending in Switzerland has reached pre-pandemic levels, a new study by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has shown.
“The primary reason for this significant improvement is households’ expectations regarding general economic development”, SECO said in a press release.
“This indicates that consumers are expecting the economic recovery following the crisis-plagued year to continue over the coming months. Increasing likelihood of making major purchases has also helped to raise consumer confidence”, according to SECO.
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A train of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB / CFF / FFS) Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
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