Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Switzerland's population could decline rather than grow; salaries of professional training graduates have increased; and other news in our roundup on Tuesday.
Expert: Switzerland’s population will decrease, not grow
Due to increased number of immigrants who have arrived in the country in the past two decades, Switzerland’s population is expected to exceed 9 million people this year, and reach 10 million a few years down the road.
That is what various population forecasts indicate, but some experts foresee the opposite trend.
“We talk a lot about Switzerland with 10 million inhabitants; but I doubt we will ever reach this number,” according to Hendrik Budliger, founder and director of the Competence Center for Demography in Basel.
“Currently, one has the impression that Switzerland, with its high salary level and its flourishing economy, will remain eternally attractive for immigrants,” he said. “But this is false.”
Budliger’s scenario calls for “the Swiss population to decrease,” especially as more and more people retire and the working-age population diminishes.
This situation will “cause big problems,” especially as less tax revenues will be generated by scanter workforce, he said.
READ MORE: 'Uninterrupted demographic growth': How is immigration impacting Switzerland?
Marked increase in PET graduates’ income
In Switzerland, PET stands for professional education and training, aimed in particular at people who finish vocational training and want to advance further in their specialised field.
A recent study by the Federal Statistics Office (FSO) indicated that six years after PET, the median income for a full-time job is about 7,800 francs a month, though earnings vary depending on the field.
Compared with a monthly wage of 5,300 francs paid on average five years before obtaining the qualification, this is an increase of 46 percent.
Unlike university studies, PET "allows you to train in parallel with your work in order to evolve professionally,” FSO said.
READ MORE: Why is vocational training so popular in Switzerland and how much can I earn?
Cross-border protest against noise at Geneva airport
About 24 Geneva, Vaud and French municipalities located in the vicinity of Geneva’s international airport are challenging the airport’s new operating regulations before the Federal Administrative Court.
The new rules, which went into effect in November 2022, extended the number of flights landing at and departing from the airport each hour, including after 10 pm, prompting local residents to complain that the noise level is too excessive.
“This regulation gives a blind response to the demands of the airlines, ignoring the impacts on the health of the inhabitants and the requirements in the fight against global warming,” said Lisa Mazzone, a MP representing Geneva.
Only in Switzerland: This is what happens when there are too many languages
Usually, being a multi-lingual country works in Switzerland’s favour. There are, however, exceptions.
For instance, Swiss media reported on Monday that a Bern court ruled a complaint inadmissible because it was written in French.
Even though the canton of Bern is bilingual, local law requires that lawsuits be filed in the official language of the district — in this case, in the German-speaking municipality of Ostermundigen.
“According to the Bernese cantonal constitution, German is the decisive official language in the administrative district of Bern-Mittelland, to which our prefecture belongs. Under the Administrative Procedure Act, we are therefore returning the documents to you for improvement,” the court wrote to the claimant.
On the other hand, in the cantons of Fribourg and Valais, which are also bilingual, both languages are admitted in legal proceedings.
However, "if the complaint is written in a language other than French or German, either it will be returned to the complainant for translation, or, depending on the nature or urgency of the case, the complainant will be heard by the police in the presence of an interpreter," according to spokesperson for Fribourg’s courts.
READ MORE: Just how good are the Swiss at speaking different languages?
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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Expert: Switzerland’s population will decrease, not grow
Due to increased number of immigrants who have arrived in the country in the past two decades, Switzerland’s population is expected to exceed 9 million people this year, and reach 10 million a few years down the road.
That is what various population forecasts indicate, but some experts foresee the opposite trend.
“We talk a lot about Switzerland with 10 million inhabitants; but I doubt we will ever reach this number,” according to Hendrik Budliger, founder and director of the Competence Center for Demography in Basel.
“Currently, one has the impression that Switzerland, with its high salary level and its flourishing economy, will remain eternally attractive for immigrants,” he said. “But this is false.”
Budliger’s scenario calls for “the Swiss population to decrease,” especially as more and more people retire and the working-age population diminishes.
This situation will “cause big problems,” especially as less tax revenues will be generated by scanter workforce, he said.
READ MORE: 'Uninterrupted demographic growth': How is immigration impacting Switzerland?
Marked increase in PET graduates’ income
In Switzerland, PET stands for professional education and training, aimed in particular at people who finish vocational training and want to advance further in their specialised field.
A recent study by the Federal Statistics Office (FSO) indicated that six years after PET, the median income for a full-time job is about 7,800 francs a month, though earnings vary depending on the field.
Compared with a monthly wage of 5,300 francs paid on average five years before obtaining the qualification, this is an increase of 46 percent.
Unlike university studies, PET "allows you to train in parallel with your work in order to evolve professionally,” FSO said.
READ MORE: Why is vocational training so popular in Switzerland and how much can I earn?
Cross-border protest against noise at Geneva airport
About 24 Geneva, Vaud and French municipalities located in the vicinity of Geneva’s international airport are challenging the airport’s new operating regulations before the Federal Administrative Court.
The new rules, which went into effect in November 2022, extended the number of flights landing at and departing from the airport each hour, including after 10 pm, prompting local residents to complain that the noise level is too excessive.
“This regulation gives a blind response to the demands of the airlines, ignoring the impacts on the health of the inhabitants and the requirements in the fight against global warming,” said Lisa Mazzone, a MP representing Geneva.
Only in Switzerland: This is what happens when there are too many languages
Usually, being a multi-lingual country works in Switzerland’s favour. There are, however, exceptions.
For instance, Swiss media reported on Monday that a Bern court ruled a complaint inadmissible because it was written in French.
Even though the canton of Bern is bilingual, local law requires that lawsuits be filed in the official language of the district — in this case, in the German-speaking municipality of Ostermundigen.
“According to the Bernese cantonal constitution, German is the decisive official language in the administrative district of Bern-Mittelland, to which our prefecture belongs. Under the Administrative Procedure Act, we are therefore returning the documents to you for improvement,” the court wrote to the claimant.
On the other hand, in the cantons of Fribourg and Valais, which are also bilingual, both languages are admitted in legal proceedings.
However, "if the complaint is written in a language other than French or German, either it will be returned to the complainant for translation, or, depending on the nature or urgency of the case, the complainant will be heard by the police in the presence of an interpreter," according to spokesperson for Fribourg’s courts.
READ MORE: Just how good are the Swiss at speaking different languages?
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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