Rising unemployment in Switzerland preoccupies the Swiss more than any other issue, according to Credit Suisse’s 2009 “Worry Barometer”.

Sixty-six per cent of the people surveyed were concerned by the jobless rate, which stood at 4.2 per cent in November. Unemployment was the prime worry of only 53 per cent in 2008.

Switzerland’s costly health system, pension schemes and the financial crisis were the other worries, although only about one-third of the population rated them among the top five problem areas.

The survey was carried out by the gfs.berne polling and research institute in late summer. The timing of the poll may explain why some themes now in the headlines rated low.

Foreigners living in the country was seen as a problem by one in five people – a drop of one per cent compared with 2008. Voters acceptance of a ban on minarets two weeks ago has thrust Switzerland’s Muslim population into the spotlight.

And climate change dropped three percentage points to 17 per cent compared with last year, even though the theme is present in the daily news due to the climate change summit currently taking place in Copenhagen.

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