Zug’s right-wingers want naturalisation candidates to have better (German) language skills

The cantonal government has responded favourably to a motion from the populist Swiss People’s Party calling for a better language proficiency to obtain Swiss citizenship.

Until now, people who wish to obtain Swiss citizenship in the German-speaking canton, where about 30 percent of the population is foreign, must have a proficiency of a B1 (intermediate) oral level, and A2 (upper elementary) in written skills.

Under the new proposal, however, the candidate should have level B2 (upper intermediate) for oral German and level B1(intermediate) in writing.

READ ALSO: Swiss canton Zug pushes for tougher language rules for naturalisation 

Labour shortage fuels need for more employees

A shortage is still impacting Switzerland’s labour market — more so in some regions than in others and in certain specific sectors.

Qualified employees are urgently needed in several sectors, mainly healthcare, IT, and engineering.

This is a finding of a new survey carried out by Adecco recruitment agency together with the Swiss Labour Market Monitor from the University of Zurich.

Most job openings are currently in the Northwest, where 2.8 percent of jobs are vacant, followed by Zurich and central Switzerland (2.6 percent).

READ ALSO: Switzerland sees jump in number of job openings 

Switzerland maintains its work quotas for third-country nationals

Despite a push from Switzerland’s Justice Minister to issue fewer permits to workers from outside the European Union, the government will retain the same number of quotas for 2024.

This means that up to 8,500 skilled workers can again be recruited from third countries: 4,500 will get a B residence permit, and 4,000 a short-term  L permit. 

UK citizens are eligible for separate quotas as part of a transitional post-Brexit arrangement: 2,100 B and 1,400 L permits are set aside just for them.

READ ALSO: Switzerland resists pressure to cut work permits for non-EU workers

Zurich ranked world’s most expensive city

A new ranking by The Economist magazine places Zurich in the top spot.

The reason for the high cost of living in the city, “partly reflects the strength of the Swiss franc, as well as high prices for groceries, household goods and recreation,” according to the report.

Not surprisingly, Switzerland’s second-largest city, Geneva, is also world’s second most-expensive in The Economist ranking.

READ ALSO: Why Zurich is the world’s most expensive city to live in 

New rent hikes to hit a number of Swiss tenants

Tenants in Switzerland just can’t catch a break: their rents will go up from December for the second time this year.

The most recent increase was announced in June.

On Friday, the Federal Housing Office (BWO) announced that it is raising, with immediate effect, the reference mortgage rate to 1.75 percent, from 1.50 percent.
 
“As a result, and in accordance with lease law, landlords can in principle increase the rent by around 3 percent

READ ALSO: Switzerland sees new rent hike but will yours go up? 

Also in the news this week:

Swiss words of 2023

Even if you are still trying to wrap your head around one of Switzerland’s national languages (much less all four), you need to know the words selected as best describing the country’s “social discourse” this year:

READ ALSO: The four ‘Swiss’ words you really need to know in 2023