Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Swiss salaries are set to increase in 2024; some drugs become less expensive; and other news in our roundup on Friday.
Salaries set to increase in 2024
Good news for employees in Switzerland: after falling by 3.1 percent between 2021 and mid-2023, wages are expected to rebound next year.
With the planned increases of between 2.5 and 3 percent, salaries will even exceed the inflation rate, which currently stands at 1.7 percent.
More good news: prices of 350 medications to drop from December 1st
About 350 drugs — amounting to 60 percent of Switzerland's entire pharmaceutical stock — will become cheaper from December 1st.
They include meds used to treat cancer patients, along with other medical conditions, such as gastro-intestinal disorders.
According to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), which announced the price drop on Thursday, these drugs will become about 10 percent cheaper.
The remaining 40 percent will maintain their current price, which is in line with what they cost in other countries, FOPH said.
READ ALSO: Do I have to pay for prescription drugs in Switzerland?
Political participation of foreigners in Geneva remains low
The canton with the largest foreign population in Switzerland (45 percent), is also one of the few that grants foreigners voting rights at municipal level.
Foreign nationals who have resided in the canton for at least eight years have had the right of vote since 2005.
But a study carried out by the Swiss Forum for the Study of Migration and Population at the University of Neuchâtel, found that the political participation of foreigners remains at a low level.
No reason has been given to explain why so few foreigners take advantage of this right.
READ MORE: Where in Switzerland can foreigners vote?
Weather: what you can expect in your region from this weekend on
It has been raining heavily throughout most of the country in recent days.
In the mountains, the snow line is gradually falling below 1,500 metres; above 2,000 metres, 20 to 40 cm of fresh snow is predicted.
On the plain, it will be mostly cloudy with more rain predicted for some parts of Switzerland.
Daytime temperatures will not exceed 12C in most regions, with slightly higher temps in Ticino.
This is what you can expect in your region.
READ ALSO: When do the ski resorts open in Switzerland this 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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Salaries set to increase in 2024
Good news for employees in Switzerland: after falling by 3.1 percent between 2021 and mid-2023, wages are expected to rebound next year.
With the planned increases of between 2.5 and 3 percent, salaries will even exceed the inflation rate, which currently stands at 1.7 percent.
More good news: prices of 350 medications to drop from December 1st
About 350 drugs — amounting to 60 percent of Switzerland's entire pharmaceutical stock — will become cheaper from December 1st.
They include meds used to treat cancer patients, along with other medical conditions, such as gastro-intestinal disorders.
According to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), which announced the price drop on Thursday, these drugs will become about 10 percent cheaper.
The remaining 40 percent will maintain their current price, which is in line with what they cost in other countries, FOPH said.
READ ALSO: Do I have to pay for prescription drugs in Switzerland?
Political participation of foreigners in Geneva remains low
The canton with the largest foreign population in Switzerland (45 percent), is also one of the few that grants foreigners voting rights at municipal level.
Foreign nationals who have resided in the canton for at least eight years have had the right of vote since 2005.
But a study carried out by the Swiss Forum for the Study of Migration and Population at the University of Neuchâtel, found that the political participation of foreigners remains at a low level.
No reason has been given to explain why so few foreigners take advantage of this right.
READ MORE: Where in Switzerland can foreigners vote?
Weather: what you can expect in your region from this weekend on
It has been raining heavily throughout most of the country in recent days.
In the mountains, the snow line is gradually falling below 1,500 metres; above 2,000 metres, 20 to 40 cm of fresh snow is predicted.
On the plain, it will be mostly cloudy with more rain predicted for some parts of Switzerland.
Daytime temperatures will not exceed 12C in most regions, with slightly higher temps in Ticino.
This is what you can expect in your region.
READ ALSO: When do the ski resorts open in Switzerland this 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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