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 Due to its location, Switzerland has traditionally been and will continue to be at the cross-roads of
major international trade routes. From Switzerland, the gateway of Europe, you can reach all major cities of the
Continent in two hours or less.This is one of the reasons why Switzerland become a center for international business contacts and organizations. |
| Population and economic highlights |
| Zurich with its 0.35 Mln. population is the commercial center of Switzerland. Bern (0.13 Mln.) is the political capital. Basel (0.18 Mln.) is the domicile of renowned pharmaceutical and chemical companies, and Geneva (0.18 Mln.) is the headquarters of numerous international organizations. Lausanne and St.Gallen are world-renowned education centers, and Lucerne is a famous meeting point of culture and tourism. Smaller agglomerations with an economic profile are Lugano as a banking and tourism center, Winterhur with a medical technology base, and Neuchatel with electronics and micro-technology centers. Switzerland us the world's most competitive economy, according to the Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009. Business activity in this country benefits from a well-developed institutional framework, the rule of law, an efficient judicial system and high levels of transparency and accountability within public institutions. Excellent infrastructure is an additional positive feature of the Switzerland's business environment. |
| Political system |
| As its name implies, the Swiss Confederation is based on a federal system. The present form was established by the Constitution of 1848. It superseded the previous federation of independent states and recognized that the country's unity could only be preserved if full consideration was given to the diversity of its regions. Under the current Constitution which became effective at the beginning of 2000, Switzerland is made up of 26 Cantons. The historically evolved federal structure gives the Cantons a considerable degree of political freedom and administrative autonomy. Switzerland's internal stability isn't impaired by the existence of different language groups and cultural regions. There is a high degree of tolerance and personal freedom. According to the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2008, Switzerland leads all international comparisons in matters of security, private prosperity, social coherence and political stability. |
| Human capital |
| With respect to the productivity of the labor force, Switzerland ranks number 2 among the world's national economies. The workforce is generally highly motivated, as confirmed through international studies (see Work Motivation). The Swiss labor market is characterized by a liberal labor law, low regulation density and outstanding social stability. Labor conflicts are solved through negotiations between the social partners. The labor costs depend not only on the direct wage and ancillary wage costs, but also on the total number of hours worked per year and the costs of absenteeism. In Switzerland, the annual working hours are clearly longer than in other European countries. Absenteeism due to illness and other reasons is low. Strikes are practically non-existent. |
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