Workplace Switzerland

On the trail of luxury watches in the Jura

This content was published on May 14, 2014 Cut off from the rest of the world in winter, farmers in the Joux Valley in the 18th Century began to make watch components. It meant that they had an extra source of income. Brands such as Audemars Piguet and Jaeger-LeCoultre were developed here. They were later joined by names such as Patek Philippe, Blancpain,…

Fighter jet purchase remains up in the air

This content was published on May 7, 2014 Opponents of the Gripen are still 7% ahead of supporters, but those in favour of the purchase of the Swedish aircraft have succeeded in winning additional ground over the past month to bring them to 44% of the vote. About 5% are undecided. (For details see graphic below) “It will be tight. The grassroots of…

For trailing spouses, a move is about self-exploration

This content was published on May 5, 2014 On a Wednesday afternoon in April, Bern’s Rose Garden is a popular meeting place. Children play on the swings, teenagers relax on the wall overlooking the capital’s old town, and the waiter in the restaurant is busy delivering cappuccinos to people chatting at tables in the sun. “I feel like I should be doing something,”…

Firefighters are most trusted professionals

This content was published on May 2, 2014 Firefighters topped the poll in 15 of 25 countries surveyed by the organization GfK. In Switzerland 96% of respondents found them trustworthy while politicians came out bottom with 21%. The poll looked at 30 professions common in all 25 countries and included responses from 28,659 people overall. In Switzerland, where 1,017 people were surveyed, paramedics…

Gender wage gap widens in Switzerland

This content was published on May 1, 2014 An extensive survey carried out by the Federal Statistics Office released on April 28 reveals that the gap between men’s and women’s salaries, which had progressively narrowed over recent years, had grown by 0.5% between 2010 and 2012. Women earned on average 18.9% less than men with the same profile. Sylvie Durrer, director of the…

Growing gap in private sector wages

This content was published on Apr 28, 2014 The worst paid 10% of workers earned less than CHF3,886 ($4,412) gross per month of full-time work in 2012, an increase of 9.5% over the 10-year period. In comparison, the highest-paid workers earned an average of CHF11,512 per month, an increase of 22.5% over 1992. Wages in the private sector varied greatly by branch, with…

Part-time working continues its rise

This content was published on Apr 25, 2014 Between 2003 and 2013 the increase in the number of people working part-time was more than three times greater than those working full-time (24.5% compared with 7.1%). Overall the working population grew by 12.6%, noted the Federal Statistics Office in its Swiss Labour Force Survey 2013. “Over ten years, the increase in part-time work…

The price of a T-shirt

This content was published on Feb 5, 2014

Jobless rate climbs slightly

This content was published on Jan 10, 2014 The end-of-year increase is a recurring phenomenon, mainly due to seasonal factors, according to Boris Zürcher, head of the labour directorate at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The construction sector, which shuts down for part of the winter, is to a large extent responsible for the hike. On average, over 136,000 people drew…

More and more firms treating burnout

This content was published on Dec 10, 2013

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