Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Increasing number of Germans immigrate to Switzerland; most residents in favour of government-run healthcare; and other news in our Thursday roundup.
Switzerland is Germans’ favourite immigration country
Germans emigrating to another European country most often choose Switzerland as their destination.
Over 311,000 German citizens now live in Switzerland – more than in any other European country outside Germany, according to new statistics.
Switzerland is also the country whose citizenship Germans acquired most frequently: in 2022, the number of Germans who obtained Swiss passports reached a new high: a total of 7,940 naturalisations were recorded — 14 percent more than a year earlier.
READ ALSO: Why cross-border workers from Germany love their Swiss jobs
Nearly 80 percent of Swiss in favour of public health insurance scheme to cut costs
In view of high — and still increasing — health insurance premiums, many in Switzerland are pushing for a government-run system to replace the current, private one.
While this option — a new system that would scrap multiple private carriers in favour of just one public insurance provider — was already rejected in two referendums in the past, a new poll conducted by Swiss media indicates that right now, 79 percent of respondents are in favour of it.
READ ALSO: Would people in Switzerland benefit from a government healthcare scheme?
Inflation pushes employees to seek more jobs, higher salaries
More than half (54 percent) of job seekers in Switzerland consider taking on two jobs to keep up with inflation.
This is what emerges from a new study by Michael Page recruitment agency.
The survey also found that 66 percent of respondents are more likely to switch jobs to obtain higher salaries.
It also showed that 63 percent did not expect their current salaries to cover inflation over the next 12 months, and 40 percent had intensified their job searches as a result of inflationary pressures.
Compared with neighbour countries, Swiss job-seekers were some of the least likely to have received higher wages to cover inflation. Only 24 percent got a salary increase over the past two years to compensate for inflation, while that proportion is 35 percent in France and 27 percent in Germany, the study shows.
New app launched to make visiting Swiss parks easier
Switzerland has 20 national parks, and a new application makes it possible to discover these areas, to plan hikes or bike tours, or other itineraries.
The SwissPark app includes an interactive map displaying various activities available in each of the parks, and makes it possible to find routes between chosen points. They can be downloaded even without an internet connection.
After seven days of testing the application for free, the cost will be 36 francs per year.
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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Switzerland is Germans’ favourite immigration country
Germans emigrating to another European country most often choose Switzerland as their destination.
Over 311,000 German citizens now live in Switzerland – more than in any other European country outside Germany, according to new statistics.
Switzerland is also the country whose citizenship Germans acquired most frequently: in 2022, the number of Germans who obtained Swiss passports reached a new high: a total of 7,940 naturalisations were recorded — 14 percent more than a year earlier.
READ ALSO: Why cross-border workers from Germany love their Swiss jobs
Nearly 80 percent of Swiss in favour of public health insurance scheme to cut costs
In view of high — and still increasing — health insurance premiums, many in Switzerland are pushing for a government-run system to replace the current, private one.
While this option — a new system that would scrap multiple private carriers in favour of just one public insurance provider — was already rejected in two referendums in the past, a new poll conducted by Swiss media indicates that right now, 79 percent of respondents are in favour of it.
READ ALSO: Would people in Switzerland benefit from a government healthcare scheme?
Inflation pushes employees to seek more jobs, higher salaries
More than half (54 percent) of job seekers in Switzerland consider taking on two jobs to keep up with inflation.
This is what emerges from a new study by Michael Page recruitment agency.
The survey also found that 66 percent of respondents are more likely to switch jobs to obtain higher salaries.
It also showed that 63 percent did not expect their current salaries to cover inflation over the next 12 months, and 40 percent had intensified their job searches as a result of inflationary pressures.
Compared with neighbour countries, Swiss job-seekers were some of the least likely to have received higher wages to cover inflation. Only 24 percent got a salary increase over the past two years to compensate for inflation, while that proportion is 35 percent in France and 27 percent in Germany, the study shows.
New app launched to make visiting Swiss parks easier
Switzerland has 20 national parks, and a new application makes it possible to discover these areas, to plan hikes or bike tours, or other itineraries.
The SwissPark app includes an interactive map displaying various activities available in each of the parks, and makes it possible to find routes between chosen points. They can be downloaded even without an internet connection.
After seven days of testing the application for free, the cost will be 36 francs per year.
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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