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QUALITY OF LIFE

Is Geneva the worst place to live in Switzerland?

Geneva has more burglaries, air and noise pollution, crowded apartments and road accidents than other Swiss cities, according to a new study monitoring the quality of life in Switzerland.

Published: 9 December 2016 11:13 CET
Is Geneva the worst place to live in Switzerland?
File photo: Cristian Bortes

The City Statistics (Urban Audit) study, published by the Swiss Statistics Office (BFS) this week, assessed eight major Swiss cities on 24 aspects relating to quality of life, including income, work, accommodation, safety, health and the environment.

And Geneva did not fare too well.

The city at the end of Lac Léman has the fewest number of people living in individual houses, as opposed to apartment blocks, and the largest number of homes comprising more than one person per room, found the study.

“Houses often offer a larger living area per person and a garden,” it said.

“Having enough room in a residence is important to preserve private life and to create a comfortable living environment. Overpopulation can lead to health problems or create problems for children at school.”

Geneva also has the most night-time traffic noise, with more than 60 percent of the population having their sleep disturbed, far more than the second noisiest city, Basel, where just over 40 percent were affected.  

The city also has the highest number of burglaries and road accidents per capita, and the joint highest air pollution (with Lugano) found the study.

Geneva has the second highest rate of unemployment after Lausanne, another city that didn’t come out too well from the study.

As many Lausanne residents will recognize, the city has the least amount of available apartments, leading to increased rents and difficulties for people looking to move home, said the study.

“A limited amount of available homes can push people to choose a more expensive residence, to move to a different area or to the suburbs, increasing the journey time to work and putting a strain on household budgets”.

Lausanne also had the second highest rate of burglaries, after Geneva, and the most assaults.

However, both cities had some good points, found the study. 

Despite Geneva’s supposed poor quality of life, it seems you might just live longer there. The city has the fewest number of under 65s dying from heart or lung-related conditions, according to the study.

Lugano, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, has the highest rate, followed by Basel in second place.

What's more, Lausanne and Geneva both figured in the bottom half of the table when it comes to suicide rate – highest in Bern – a “subjective” indicator of quality of life, said the study.

The report found Lausanne to have the second best work-life balance after Zurich, with Bern coming last.

Zurich also has the longest commuting times to work and highest transport costs, with Lausanne having the cheapest.

“Besides classic economic factors such as taxation, quality of life can play an important role in urban development policy because it’s what attracts people and businesses and what generates the necessary capital for developing the city,” said the report’s authors.

The data for the study was taken from various statistics covering the period 2010-2015.

Globally, Switzerland regularly features highly in quality of life surveys, with both Geneva and Zurich making the top ten of the Mercer survey earlier this year.
 

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GENEVA

‘Things have changed’: Can you get a job in Geneva without speaking French?

Geneva must be up there when picturing an international city where language is no barrier. Does this hold true for those looking for a job? 

Published: 15 March 2024 14:23 CET
Updated: 23 March 2024 08:42 CET
'Things have changed': Can you get a job in Geneva without speaking French?

Organisations such as the International Red Cross, the World Health Organisation, and the United Nations are either based in Geneva or have a significant presence there. 

Furthermore, the Geneva region has a population of over half a million, making it an ideal base for global businesses to reach Swiss (and European) markets. 

There is no doubt that the city is a centre of international diplomacy and business and has been for decades. 

Having said that, how hard is it to find a job in Switzerland’s largest francophone city? Or indeed anywhere in Suisse Romande in general? Do you have a chance of securing a role without French language skills? 

The expert view

Recruiters think you might find it challenging if you’re not planning to work for one of the major international bodies. 

Anthony Caffon, Director of Finance at Michael Page, a significant regional recruiter, told The Local: “From our perspective, as a large operator in West Switzerland, only a few roles don’t require candidates to speak French. 

“A few years ago, there was indeed a shortage of skills in the market, and coupled with major multinational companies located here, companies were open to employing non-French speakers. 

“We now notice a change. French is required in 90 percent of the roles we recruit outside international organisations. 

“Organisations would only take on non-French speakers in some highly technical roles, for which there is absolutely no local talent pool,” he said.

‘It was critical for wider job opportunities’

However, when surveyed, readers of The Local had differing perspectives on whether not knowing French was a hindrance to searching for a job in Geneva. 

Sofia, an American, responded: “It depends on the job and sector. French is desirable but not required for international organisations, NGOs, and many private companies such as EA Games or financial companies like Barclays.”

However, she noted that speaking French became more essential when settling in the country.

“It was critical for my Swiss naturalisation, but also to have a wider spectrum of job opportunities and better working relationships.”

Generally, to apply for Swiss citizenship in the canton of Geneva, one must achieve French oral B1 and written A2, as set in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). 

Michael, who lives near Lausanne, agreed with Sofia, telling The Local: “It depends if you work for a multinational or a local company.” 

“If you work for a multinational or Swiss company, you need French. But you can generally use English in the office at Nestle, BAT, PMI, Novartis, or WHO.”

Another respondent, Phil, believed that speaking French would assist in job searching. 

He stated, “I think it depends on your industry. If you work in the pharmaceutical area, then just English is fine.

“If you speak French, however, I think it’s easier to understand the application process and job descriptions.”

A Briton, Katie, thought speaking French could also help smooth the way when starting a new role in Geneva. 

She responded: “It shows you are curious about where you live. It helps build relationships with colleagues and, of course, for some jobs, it is needed.”

‘You can get by fine’

Those seeking to work in Geneva who don’t speak French shouldn’t fret just yet. 

An anonymous respondent from Ireland told The Local: “Some basic French is needed not to look utterly dysfunctional in casual social settings, but if the business works in English, then that is generally sufficient. 

“Once you can complete the technical requirements of your job well, you can get by fine,” they said.

“Some employers will specify that French and English are requirements on the job listings, even if you only need English to do the job. 

“Not having any French can put people off applying for many openings when, in fact, they might be fine applying anyway.”

What have you experienced finding a job in Geneva? Did you need French skills? Let us know in the comments. 

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