The number of cross-border workers in Switzerland exceeded 400,000 people for the first time, reaching 403,000 in the third quarter. This figure has doubled in 15 years, mainly due to the significant increase in cross-border workers residing in France. The differences with Germany are considerable, likely to surprise even experts.
The differences between the French-speaking and German-speaking cantons are striking: 25 years ago, Basel-City and Geneva each had 26,000 cross-border workers. Today, Basel has 35,000, while Geneva has 112,000, three times more.
A similar development is observed in two less urban cantons. In Thurgau, the number of cross-border workers increased from 2,000 to 6,000, while in Jura, it increased from 2,000 to 12,000 over the same period.
In the canton of Vaud, the number of cross-border workers has increased fivefold, and Neuchâtel now has more cross-border workers than the entire canton of Zurich.
>> Lire : More than 400,000 cross-border workers work in Switzerland, a quarter of which in Geneva
Regional differences in question
Contacted by the RTS, the Employers’ Center, the Federation of Romande Enterprises, as well as the Chambers of Commerce of Basel and Jura struggled to provide an explanation. These developments concern them.
Blaise Matthey, now retired after 35 years in Geneva employers, puts forward a cultural explanation. According to him, French-speaking people are less reluctant to employ staff from neighboring France. “Unlike the German-speaking Swiss, who have a certain aversion to German staff,” he explains Monday in La Matinale.
Other explanations include the fact that there are more apprentices in German-speaking Switzerland, which would ensure a sufficient workforce in technical professions, or a German labor market which would encourage less exodus.
Would wage dumping be decisive?
As for the idea that French-speaking Swiss bosses would be attracted by the low salaries in France, Blaise Matthey is not convinced. “In a company, you might be able to do salary dumping at the beginning, but that will cause problems very quickly,” he says.
Would German-speaking Swiss bosses be more united? Nothing can assure this. This difference between French-speaking Switzerland and German-speaking Switzerland remains significant and still unexplained.
Radio subject: Nicolas Rossé
Adaptation web: Miroslav Mares
Swiss
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