Study reveals Switzerland’s most commuter-oriented cities ; Switzerland’s unemployment rate has fallen slightly; and more news in our Thursday roundup.
Study reveals Switzerland’s most commuter-oriented cities
New data from the Federal Statistical Office, (FSO) analysed the net commuting rate of Swiss municipalities.
Not surprisingly, Switzerland’s largest city leads the ranking: Zurich has the highest – by far – commuter rate of all Swiss municipalities.148,000 people. Bern, Basel. Geneva, and Lausanne take the 2nd to 5th place, respectively.
But when considered in relation to the population size, the winners are smaller municipalities where multinational companies or other major institutions are located.
For instance, Visp in canton Valais, home to Lonza pharmaceuticals, holds the Swiss record, followed by Kloten, where Zurich Airport is located and Ecublens (Vaud), home to the Federal Polytechnical Institute of Lausanne (EPFL).
Switzerland’s unemployment rate falls slightly
Despite job cuts in various industries over the past few months, unemployment in Switzerland had dropped to 3.1 percent in March – a decrease of 0.1 percent over the two previous months; concurrently, the number of available positions rose by 1.4 percent.
This is what emerges from figures released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
That rate is much lower than the EU’s one, which stands at 6.1 percent.
Advertisement
Organic food is becoming more popular among Swiss consumers
Among organic (‘bio’) food products favoured by consumers are eggs, which account for 28 percent of the market share – though various vegetables are also in demand.
And what’s more, organic foods – which typically costs more than ‘regular’ ones – have become cheaper, as supermarkets are competing against each other for this sector.
Coop and Migros account for the largest share of organic sales in Switzerland, with the former increasing its sales by 4 percent in 2025, and the latter by 2 percent.
READ ALSO: What does the ‘bio’ label on foods in Switzerland really mean?
Advertisement
A Swiss airline launches new summer flights to Spain
Switzerland’s Chair airline is not as well-known as its bigger siblings – SWISS and Edelweiss – but it does fly to a number of popular tourist destinations in Europe and North Africa.
During April and May, and then again in September and October, Chair is adding new charter flights from Bern to Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at news@thelocal.ch
