PowerPointPrsentation

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Switzerland
WELCOME TO PARADISE preconceptions or reality
? Sergio Pellegrini EURES Adviser Office
Régional de Placement, Neuchâtel (West
Switzerland)
Turku Finland October 2008
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• Switzerland
• Welcome to paradise (?)

• Varied landscape
• Multicultural population
• Clean and safe
• Direct democracy, neutrality and political
  stability
• A rich country
• Excellent transport infrastructure and
  accessibility
• Outstanding schools and universities
• Growing labour market
• Low unemployment

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1 country 26 cantons
Switzerland
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Language regions bordering countries
Switzerland
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Facts and figures
Switzerland

• Confoederatio Helvetica Swiss Confederation
• Political form Federal state, 26 cantons
• 7 Federal Councillors, National council
  Council of States
• Area 41,285 km2
• Distances 220 km from N ? S / 350 km from E ?
  W
• Population 7.5 million, 21 foreign nationals
• Languages 63 German, 21 French, 6.5
  Italian, 0.5 Romansh 9 Other
• Employ. quota 81 net (age 15-65, permanent
  population)
• Unemploym.Q. 2.4 (August 2008)

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Switzerland

• Varied landscape
• Largest cities Zurich (350,000), Geneva
  (178,600), Basel (163,100), Bern (122,400),
  Lausanne (118,000)
• Largest lakes Lake Geneva (with France, 581.3
  km2), Lake Constance (with Germany and Austria,
  541.1 km2), Lake Neuchâtel (218.4 km2), Lake
  Maggiore (with Italy, 212.3 km2), Lake Lucerne
  (113,7 km2), Lake Zurich (90.1 km2)
• Highest mountains Dufourspitze (4,634 m),
  Nordend (4,609 m), Zumsteinspitze (4,563 m),
  Matterhorn (4,478 m), Eiger (3,970 m), Mönch
  (4,107 m), Jungfrau (4,158 m)

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Switzerland

• Multicultural population
• Inhabitants 7,508,700
• Foreign population 20.7
• Languages German 63.7, French 20.4, Italian
  6.5 , Romansh 0.5, Non-national languages 9.0
  (incl. Serbo-Croat/Croatian 1.4, Albanian
  1.3, Portuguese 1.2)
• Religion Catholic 41.82, Protestant 33.04,
  Muslim 4.26, Christian Orthodox 1.82, no
  affiliation 11.11

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Switzerland

• Clean and safe
• Environmentally aware
• Personal attitudes
• Comparatively low level of criminality

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Switzerland

• Direct democracy, neutrality and political
  stability
• Federal state with pronounced subsidiarity (26
  cantons)
• Power rests with the People
• Member of various international organisations,
  yet remains neutral
• Stability thanks to constitutional checks and
  conservative character

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Switzerland

• A rich country
• Low level of working-poor
• Relatively high income
• Positive consumer climate
• High living costs
• Good life satisfaction levels

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Switzerland

• Excellent transport infrastructure and
  accessibility
• Intercontinental airports Zurich (19,298,569),
  Geneva (9,816,477), Basel-Mulhouse (3,984,957)
• International rail connections TGV, ICE, etc
• Annual mobility HPM 4.0, private vehicles
  56.7, public transport 18.8, other (esp.
  aircraft 20.5)

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Switzerland

• Outstanding schools and universities
• Dual school system
• Usually in leading group in EU benchmarking
  (Lisbon process 2010)
• Universities (10 cantonal, 2 federal)

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Switzerland

• Growing labour market
• Employment rate 65.2
• Regional growth German-speaking part 2.7,
  French-speaking part and Ticino 3.6
• Sectoral growth Industry and manufacturing
  27, Services 12

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Switzerland

• Low unemployment
• August 2008 Stable, low unemployment rate (2.4)
• Falling youth unemployment
• Relatively few long-term unemployed
• Relatively high number of women and foreign
  nationals not in work
• Future dependent on international developments

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Social insurance system
Social Security

• ? contributions
• Old age and survivors insurance (AHV) 4.2
• Invalidity insurance (IV) 0.7
• Loss of earnings insurance (EO) 0.15
• Occupational pensions (BVG) 6.0
• Medical insurance (KVG) private but obligatory
• Accident insurance (UVG) 2.0
• Unemployment insurance (AVIG) 1.0
• Child and family benefits
• employee social
  contributions 14.05

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Unemployment insurance (AVIG)
Social Security

• Insurance for the employee
• 12 month contributory period within 2 years
• max. 400 daily compensation claims within 2 year
  period
• 70 / 80 of insured earnings
• Aggregation of contribution or insurance periods
  (Form E 301)
• L-EC work permit no aggregation
• Minimum contribution period in CH 12
  months(transition period 31.05.2009)
• Frontier workers Entitlement in country of
  residence
• Contribution rate 1 (up to max. CHF 126,000 of
  annual salary)

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Job-seeking
Living and Working Conditions

• Adverts in regional and national newspapers
• Internet recruitment services
• Regional Employment Centres (ORP-RAV-URC)
• EURES advisors
• Private recruitment agencies
• Personal contacts
• Brochures and other literature

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Job applications
Living and Working Conditions

• Personal cover letter simple, original direct
• CV light, readable, space
• References
• Professional qualification certificates
• Diplomas
• Confirmation of any further training completed
• ? Applications expected in writing

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Switzerland
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Unemployment by canton, average 2007
eures.ppt / EVD/SECO-DAEURES-Schweiz
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Content of agreementsEC - CH and EFTA - CH
Free Movement Agreement

• Freedom of movement
• Gainfully employed (employees and self-employed)
• Non-active persons (pensioners, students and
  other non-active persons)
• in addition
• Recognition of diplomas and vocational training
• Coordination of social insurance

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Freedom of movement for workers
Free Movement Agreement

• Equal treatment (e.g. taxation)
• Right of entry and residence
• Right of subsequent family migration

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Disposable income large discrepancies
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Housing
Housing

• Living space
• Limited and expensive
• A country of renters
• No building subsidies
• Average costs
• Rent
• 3-room apartment, urban between CHF 1,100 to
  1,800 / month
• Buy
• House with 5 - 6 roomsat least CHF 900,000 (gt
  than EUR 600,000)
• ? Public transport excellent

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EURES regions
Schaffhausen
Basel-St, BL,
Zurich
Aarau
St. Gallen, AR, AI,TG
Bern, SO
Zug LU, UR, SZ, O/NW
Neuchâtel, FR, JU
Graubünden, GL
Geneva
Vaud, VS
Ticino
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Thank you!
Switzerland