Switzerland is to grant more work permits to non-Europeans after some companies complained tighter quotas were choking them.
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An extra 5,500 work permits are to be made available to workers coming from countries outside the European Union and the European Free Trade Association in the second half of 2010, the Migration Office announced on Wednesday.
Acting on fears of rising unemployment, the government in December 2009 halved the number of so-called B and L permits, which are typically granted to workers who come into the country to provide short-term expertise before leaving again. Students and au pairs also receive these permits.
Companies with offices in Switzerland, like Google and IBM, had worried publicly that the tighter quotas were making it difficult for them to bring in the short-term specialists needed even in a lacklustre economy.
In announcing the increased quota, the government said the economy is rebounding faster than expected.
The total number of B and L permits to be issued in 2010 now stands at 11,000, the same as in previous years but with slightly more L permits and fewer B ones.
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Opposition to work permit quotas grows
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Faced with rising unemployment under the financial crisis the government decided in December to halve the number of annual short-term residence and work permits accorded for non-European Union nationals to 3,500. The permits, typically valid for less than 12 months, are commonly used by international firms bringing in highly skilled staff for special projects. It…
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The number of people out of work rose by 8,790 in December to a total of 172,740 – an unemployment rate of 4.4 per cent not seen since 1998. However, this is less than half the Eurozone average of 9.8 per cent. The latest jobless figures, released by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco)…
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The IOM says that despite the downturn, wealthy states like Switzerland will continue to need foreign workers to fill jobs their shrinking workforces cannot or will not do. Switzerland hosts the third-largest number of migrants in Europe relative to population size, the Geneva-based intergovernmental body says. “Switzerland, with its bilateral agreements with the EU, has…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.