Today in Switzerland: A round-up of the latest news on Wednesday
Find out what's going on today in Switzerland with The Local's short roundup of the news.
The number of cross-border workers in Geneva tripled in 20 years
The number of employees who commute from France to their jobs in Geneva went up from around 30,150 in 2000 to 92,000 in 2020, according to an analysis of official statistics calculated by Tribune de Genève newspaper.
Among these workers, two-thirds hold a position in the city itself, while others are mainly employed in Geneva municipalities of Meyrin (11,500), Carouge (10,500), Plan-les-Ouates (6,000), and Vernier (5,000).
Most work in auto repair (13,500), nursing care (12,100), services (12,000) and scientific and technical activities (9,400). This is followed by transport, education, catering and finance sectors, the analysis shows.
In all, here are currently 91,182 cross-border workers employed in Geneva, cantonal figures show.
Number of cross-border commuters from France to Geneva has tripled in 20 years. Phoro by Fabrice Coffrini /AFP
Tourists returning from abroad brought in “super germs”
Numerous Covid patients who had to be repatriated to Switzerland from foreign hospitals after the summer vacation, “imported” not only the virus itself, but also “resistant bacteria”, according to doctors at Geneva University Hospitals (HUG).
"Since August, 100 percent of all patients with Covid who have been moved here from intensive care units abroad have been carriers of highly resistant bacteria," said Stephan Harbarth, senior doctor in hospital hygiene and infectious diseases at HUG.
The main problem with these bacteria is that they don’t respond to the most commonly used antibiotics and in order to keep these germs from spreading, infected patients have to be moved to private rooms, contributing to bed shortage.
The University Hospital in Zurich (UHZ) is facing a similar situation, as “germs on which the common antibiotics no longer work, have been repeatedly found on repatriated patients", according to Walter Zingg, UHZ’s head physician for infectious diseases and hospital hygiene
Migros to increase wages in 2022
Switzerland’s largest retail chain announced that it was going to raise its minimum wage to 4,100 francs monthly from January 1st, 2022.
The benchmark salaries for qualified staff will, for their part, be adjusted by March 31st, 2023: apprentices will earn 4,200 francs in the second year, 4,300 francs in the third year, and 4,500 francs in the fourth year.
Other staff members will be granted salary adjustments on a case-by-case basis, according to function and performance criteria, Migros said.
Migros s’est accordée avec ses partenaires sociaux sur une hausse de la masse salariale de jusqu’à 1% pour 2022. L’accent est mis ici sur les salaires minimums, qui seront harmonisés et augmenteront le 1er janvier 2022. Pour en savoir plus: https://t.co/MM6Vh88dUE pic.twitter.com/P3C8n2wYip
— Migros (@migros) November 2, 2021
READ MORE: Salaries in Switzerland: In which sectors have wages increased the most?
Bread prices expected to rise due to poor grain harvest
Due to cold and heavy rains that hit Switzerland in the summer, prices for baked goods will soon go up, according to the Federation of Swiss Millers (FMS).
The weather conditions had an impact not only on the quantity of cereals — with an estimated decrease of more than 30 percent in comparison to previous years — but also on their quality.
The FMS therefore expects costs to rise by 10 to 12 percent for an average Swiss mill, a hike that will have repercussions on the prices consumers will have to pay for bakery products.
Rents in Switzerland continue to go up
Just as the prices of single-family homes are going up, so are rents in many Swiss cities.
They continued to rise in October, according to surveys carried out by the Homegate real estate portal. Despite strong disparities between cities and cantons, the price level remains high overall.
Rents continued to climb in Zurich and Geneva — traditionally the most expensive property and rental markets — while in Vaud and Valais they dropped, after increasing in September.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
READ MORE: How much do you need to earn to afford a house in Switzerland?
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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The number of cross-border workers in Geneva tripled in 20 years
The number of employees who commute from France to their jobs in Geneva went up from around 30,150 in 2000 to 92,000 in 2020, according to an analysis of official statistics calculated by Tribune de Genève newspaper.
Among these workers, two-thirds hold a position in the city itself, while others are mainly employed in Geneva municipalities of Meyrin (11,500), Carouge (10,500), Plan-les-Ouates (6,000), and Vernier (5,000).
Most work in auto repair (13,500), nursing care (12,100), services (12,000) and scientific and technical activities (9,400). This is followed by transport, education, catering and finance sectors, the analysis shows.
In all, here are currently 91,182 cross-border workers employed in Geneva, cantonal figures show.
Number of cross-border commuters from France to Geneva has tripled in 20 years. Phoro by Fabrice Coffrini /AFP
Tourists returning from abroad brought in “super germs”
Numerous Covid patients who had to be repatriated to Switzerland from foreign hospitals after the summer vacation, “imported” not only the virus itself, but also “resistant bacteria”, according to doctors at Geneva University Hospitals (HUG).
"Since August, 100 percent of all patients with Covid who have been moved here from intensive care units abroad have been carriers of highly resistant bacteria," said Stephan Harbarth, senior doctor in hospital hygiene and infectious diseases at HUG.
The main problem with these bacteria is that they don’t respond to the most commonly used antibiotics and in order to keep these germs from spreading, infected patients have to be moved to private rooms, contributing to bed shortage.
The University Hospital in Zurich (UHZ) is facing a similar situation, as “germs on which the common antibiotics no longer work, have been repeatedly found on repatriated patients", according to Walter Zingg, UHZ’s head physician for infectious diseases and hospital hygiene
Migros to increase wages in 2022
Switzerland’s largest retail chain announced that it was going to raise its minimum wage to 4,100 francs monthly from January 1st, 2022.
The benchmark salaries for qualified staff will, for their part, be adjusted by March 31st, 2023: apprentices will earn 4,200 francs in the second year, 4,300 francs in the third year, and 4,500 francs in the fourth year.
Other staff members will be granted salary adjustments on a case-by-case basis, according to function and performance criteria, Migros said.
Migros s’est accordée avec ses partenaires sociaux sur une hausse de la masse salariale de jusqu’à 1% pour 2022. L’accent est mis ici sur les salaires minimums, qui seront harmonisés et augmenteront le 1er janvier 2022. Pour en savoir plus: https://t.co/MM6Vh88dUE pic.twitter.com/P3C8n2wYip
— Migros (@migros) November 2, 2021
READ MORE: Salaries in Switzerland: In which sectors have wages increased the most?
Bread prices expected to rise due to poor grain harvest
Due to cold and heavy rains that hit Switzerland in the summer, prices for baked goods will soon go up, according to the Federation of Swiss Millers (FMS).
The weather conditions had an impact not only on the quantity of cereals — with an estimated decrease of more than 30 percent in comparison to previous years — but also on their quality.
The FMS therefore expects costs to rise by 10 to 12 percent for an average Swiss mill, a hike that will have repercussions on the prices consumers will have to pay for bakery products.
Rents in Switzerland continue to go up
Just as the prices of single-family homes are going up, so are rents in many Swiss cities.
They continued to rise in October, according to surveys carried out by the Homegate real estate portal. Despite strong disparities between cities and cantons, the price level remains high overall.
Rents continued to climb in Zurich and Geneva — traditionally the most expensive property and rental markets — while in Vaud and Valais they dropped, after increasing in September.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
READ MORE: How much do you need to earn to afford a house in Switzerland?
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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