Health insurance premiums to go up more in some cantons than in others; SWISS airline reveals its new winter timetable; and other news in our Wednesday roundup.
Health insurance premiums are likely to increase significantly in some cantons
According to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), health insurance premiums are set to skyrocket again in 2026.
As usual, rates will vary by cantons, with Zug (+7.5 percent) and Lucerne (7 percent) likely to see largest increases.
Next will Fribourg, (6.8 percent).
Some cantons, however, will get a break: premiums will go up, but not as much.
For instance, Vaud residents will pay 4.9 percent more than currently; those in Valais, 6.6 percent, and in Neuchâtel, 4 percent.
Geneva will have the lowest increase in the French-speaking cantons — 2.9 percent — while Schaffhausen’s population will be the luckiest of all, with a premium hike of only 1.9 percent.
SWISS airline reveals new routes for its winter timetable
After announcing recently that is it cutting or cancelling 1,400 flights from its current, summer schedule, Switzerland’s national airline released its lineup for the winter — valid from October 26th, 2025 to March 28th, 2026.
In total, SWISS will serve a total of 90 destinations from Zurich and Geneva.
Service on the Zurich-Krakow route will be increased from seven to nine weekly flights.
The airline will also expand further European routes from Zurich, including up to 21 flights a week to Rome, up to 15 to Manchester, up to 14 to Porto and, up to six to Naples.
As for flights from Geneva, SWISS will again be focusing on the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia, with a particular emphasis on transporting skiers from those countries to Swiss resorts.
There will be up to 39 flights each week between London and Geneva, while Dublin, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Gothenburg will all also enjoy non-stop Geneva flights.
Advertisement
Employees in Switzerland are less likely to ask for wage raise than their EU counterparts
This is the finding of the latest Talent Trends 2025 survey, released by Michael Page recruitment company this week.
It shows that nearly half (48 percent) of employees across the EU states tried to negotiate a salary increase in the last 12 months, compared with only 35 percent in Switzerland.
And of those who had sought a salary hike, 47 percent in the EU were successful, while only with 37 percent achieved this goal in Switzerland.
At the same time, the survey found that Swiss employees are also the least satisfied in their jobs compared to their EU counterparts (47 percent versus 52 percent).
On the other hand, Swiss workers have significantly greater access to flexible and hybrid working arrangements, with 73 percent benefiting from these options compared with the EU average of 55 percent.
Swiss employees who did not receive the salary increases they expected often focused on non-financial benefits instead. The most common request was access to training, with 35 percent seeking this option.
Advertisement
Geneva to get a special ‘beach bus’ line
Starting on May 29th, the Ascension Day, Geneva’s Public Transport company TPG, will launch bus line 29, to take the local population to all of the city’s swimming spots.
This line, which will run along the edge of the lake, “was designed for those who spend their summer in Geneva,” said Pierre Maudet, head of the Department of Health and Mobility.
The ‘beach line’ will operate on Fridays from 8:45 pm until midnight, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30 am to midnight.
It will run approximately every 20 minutes during off-peak hours and every 15 minutes during peak hours. It will also operate on public holidays, including the Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Swiss National Day, and Jeûne Genèvois.
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
