Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

Data published this week by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office show that 28% of children aged 0 to 12 years old were looked after by their grandparents. Overall, 61% of children under 13 years old spend part of their time being looked after by someone other than their parents. 35% spend time in childcare, 28% with grandparents, 10% with other family and friends, 5% with a family charging for the service and 4% with a nanny. Children under 4 (64%) are more likely to be looked after by someone other than their parents than those between 3 and 13 (59%). The…

Language is a complicated matter in Switzerland. The nation has four official languages and numerous other languages and dialects. On top of this some Swiss have had to cope with shifting language borders. Between 1860 and 2000, 83 municipalities, known as communes (in French), Einwohnergemeinde1 (in German), comuni (in Italian) and vischnancas (in Romanche), changed their official language. Of these 83, 44 switched during the last 60 or so years. Ski warning sign in Zermatt Switzerland © Roberto Caucino | Dreamstime.com Since 1950, six communes have switched from German to French, one from Italian to German, two from German to Italian, one from…

Brought to you by quitt.ch – No. 1 provider of registration and administration services for domestic help in Switzerland.   1. What do nannies cost in Switzerland? Nannies are expensive in Switzerland. Average monthly salaries range from CHF 3,300 to CHF 6,500 depending on experience and where you live. Nannies cost more in Zurich, Basel and Geneva than they do in London and New York. This is partly because of the high value of the Swiss franc. © Roza Ivanova | Dreamstime.com The level of experience has more impact on salary than location. Nannies with no specific education cost between CHF…

In Switzerland, mothers are far more likely to have paid work than they were 30 years ago. In 2021, 82% had paid employment compared to 60% in 1991. Over this period, Switzerland has moved from one of the lowest European rates of working mums to one of the highest. However, a sizeable employment gap remains between women with children (82%) and women without them (93%). In addition, few fathers have given up working to make way for mothers to work more – fathers’ rates of employment fell only 2 percentage points from 99% to 97% between 1991 and 2021. In…

In Switzerland, 32% of women have moved out of the family home by the age of 20, compared to only 23% of men, according to data published this week by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO). This gender different persists with rising age. By 25, 83% of daughters have left but only 68% of sons have. By 30, the same percentages are 97% and 90%. In addition, early on there are significant differences across linguistic regions. By the age of 20, 27% of German speakers have left home, compared to 30% of French speakers and 35% of Italian speakers. Level of…

In late 2021, the catholic church in Switzerland instructed historians to investigate sexual abuse within the organisation following evidence of widespread sexual abuse in the church in France. In May 2022 researchers from the University of Zurich started their investigation. This week they presented some of their results, reported RTS. The investigation marks the first time investigators from outside the church have been given access to documents that go back as far as the middle of the 20th century. The results of the research so far were made public on 12 March 2023. The researchers have found 1,002 documented cases…

This week, the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) reiterated its position on immigration at a press conference ahead of Switzerland’s upcoming federal election, reported RTS. The party, Switzerland’s largest, also set out its stance on immigration on its website. According to party president Marco Chiesa, mass immigration and asylum chaos are Switzerland’s greatest problems. Too many foreigners are coming to Switzerland and not the right ones, he told the audience. Since 2002, the population has risen by 20%, 20 times faster than in Germany, according to Chiesa. The fact that the economy suffers from a lack of qualified workers despite record…

Despite Switzerland’s legendary levels of democracy, surprisingly few vote. At the last general election in 2019 only around 45% of voters voted. To encourage voter participation the canton of Schaffhausen fines those who don’t take the time to take part in democracy, reported SRF. Across Switzerland, since 1979, more than 49% of eligible voters have never voted. One way to get more voters involved in elections is to fine those who don’t vote. However, only one of Switzerland’s 26 cantons has such a system. In the 19th century, voting was compulsory across the country. In the 1970s the last few…

The last poll before Switzerland’s federal election on 22 October 2023 shows a drift right compared to Switzerland’s federal election in 2019. The poll run by Sotomo on behalf of Switzerland’s state broadcaster between 22 September and 5 October 2023, shows clear winners and losers. Parties on the rise include the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) (+2.5 percentage points), the Socialist Party (+1.5) and the Centre Party (+0.5). The right of centre Swiss People’s Party is Switzerland’s largest, with support of 28.1% in the latest poll. In second place is the Socialist Party, with support of 18.3%. The big losers so…

This weekend Switzerland holds a federal election. However, young Swiss are less likely to go to the polls than their older compatriots. Why is this? A political scientist who spoke to SRF offers insights. Data from the last federal election four years ago show a particularly low turnout among those aged between 18-24 and 25-34. In addition, the data shows that when overall voter turnout is low participation among younger voters is affected more than that of other age groups. According to political scientist Lucas Leemann there are several reasons for this. One is the general sense that elections in…