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Today in Switzerland For Members

Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday

Helena Bachmann
Helena Bachmann - [email protected]
Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Testing centres, like thid one in Bern, are becoming relics of the past. Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Find out what's going on today in Switzerland with The Local's short roundup of the news.

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Task Force: Fewer infections due to fewer tests

As the number of daily cases continues to drop in Switzerland (by more than a half in the past three weeks), the Covid-19 Task Force sheds new light on the reason why this is so — at least partially.

It said lower numbers can’t be attributed entirely to drop in infections; it is also due partly to fewer tests being administered. This means some cases escape detection and are therefore not included in statistics.

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Workers from France still make up majority of Switzerland's cross-border employees

Slightly more than half of Switzerland’s cross-border workforce — 55.4 percent — live in France, according to new data from the Federal Statistics Office (FSO) covering the last three months of 2021.

The next largest group (23.7 percent) comes from Italy, followed by Germany (17.6 percent).

Over the past five years, the number of cross-border workers has increased from 312,000 in the fourth quarter of 2016 to 361,000 in the fourth quarter of 2021. This corresponds to a growth of 15.6%.

READ MORE: Switzerland: Cross-border workers may be penalised for working from home

What will become of Switzerland’s test centres?

During the pandemic, Covid screening centres shot up like mushrooms after the rain. They were not only necessary from the public health perspective, but also a lucrative undertaking, given that, depending on circumstances, tests were paid either by the government or individuals themselves.

But as tests and Covid certificates are no longer required in Switzerland, some testing centres will be closed or dismantled, while others will continue to operate, as unvaccinated people travelling abroad may still need to be tested.

However, many said they would be charging less than before for PCR and antigen tests. 

READ MORE: Switzerland: Do antigen tests detect Omicron?

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Swiss job market on the upward trend

The rebound continues on the labour market in Switzerland, with the number of vacancies increasing by 6.7 percent between January and February.

All regions recorded positive growth in job vacancies, but the Lake Geneva region, which alone accounts for two-thirds of the jobs advertised in French-speaking Switzerland, recorded the strongest growth: 8.1 percent. Next is Zurich (7.9 percent), followed by central Switzerland (7.6).

The highest demand in the past month has been in the IT sector, including software development, programming, and network administration.

READ MORE: How to find English language jobs 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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