France sends 81,000 people to work in the Lake Geneva region
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The Lake Geneva region remains by far the largest in Switzerland for workers from across the border, des frontaliers, with a significant jump in numbers in the first three months of 2011. The number of workers from France rose to 81,619 by the end of March, an all-time high and up from 77,235 at the end of December.
Switzerland by the end of March had over 243,000 people crossing into the country to work, compared to 143,000 in 2000, figures released 26 by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office show.
Geneva had an increase of about 3,000 and canton Vaud about 1,000, during the first three months of 2011.
The Basel area in northwest Switzerland has the second-largest number of border-crossers, 63,995 at the end of Q3 2011, an increase of about 2,000 since the end of 2010. Ticino has just over 50,000.
Geneva’s border-crossers account for more than one-third of workers who cross into Switzerland.
Some 4,000 more women from across the border were working by the end of March, compared to December 2010, and about 6,000 more men.
French Alps, seen from Celigny, Vaud in Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Frontaliers (cross-border workers) are said by some to be at the root of many of Geneva’s social problems, from traffic to crime to unemployment. These concerns among Geneva’s voters were reflected in last weekend’s elections to the cantonal parliament, or Grand Conseil, which gave the right-wing Mouvement des Cityoyens Genevois (MCG) an increase of 8 seats to 17, out of 100.
Le Temps asks in a lengthy article 16 October if there is any truth to the concerns that MCG raises, namely that frontaliers cause the problems of which they are accused.
Update 17:35 Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Several key indicators from Geneva’s cantonal employment office show that the canton’s economy slowed down significantly in the first three months of 2009 compared to last year. Industry, especially banking and hotels, has been particularly hard hit. But the watch industry promises to expand slightly in the second quarter. The cantonal office in May noted that unemployment rose 14.5 percent year on year to April 2009, although that compares to a nation-wide increase of more than 35 percent for the same period. Cantonal authorities hope for a rebound towards the end of the year.
Geneva, Switzerland and Annecy, France (GenevaLunch) – Annecy and Geneva will be 10 minutes closer 18 December, thanks to the new Aliane strip of the A41 North autoroute in France, which is being inaugurated today. More significant to the cross-border workers and weekend trippers who travel this route regularly, the new road should reduce frequent traffic jams.
