Neuchâtel, 25.05.2012 (FSO) – The employment barometer indicators published each quarter by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show moderate growth in employment for the first quarter 2012. As in the previous quarters, the employment outlook indicator and the number of job vacancies show a decline compared with the same quarter a year earlier. The difficulties experienced by enterprises in finding skilled labour remain largely unchanged.
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Neuchâtel, 24.05.2012 (FSO) – According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), expenditure on means-tested social benefits rose both in 2009 (+4.5%) and in 2010 (+8.2%). In spending on social assistance, the downward trend of the past three years was broken.
Neuchâtel, 22.05.2012 (FSO) – In 2011, 11,073 new cases of bankruptcy were recorded in Switzerland, representing a decline of 1.3% compared with 2010. During the same period, losses resulting from the closing of bankruptcy proceedings rose by 3.1%. Furthermore, almost 2.7 million summons to pay were issued in 2011, i.e. 1% more than in 2010. These are the main findings of the debt collection and bankruptcy statistics of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
Neuchâtel, 15.05.2012 (FSO) – The population's participation in the labour market is very high in Switzerland. On the other hand, part-time work is much more widespread in Switzerland than in the European Union. Part-time work is the norm among mothers in employment and remains exceptional among fathers. Over the past 10 years, the average age of withdrawal from the labour market has remained close to 65 years, and the number of seniors per 100 economically active persons has been steadily increasing. These are some of the results of the Swiss Labour Force Survey conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
Neuchâtel, 14.05.2012 (FSO) – The Producer and Import Price Index calculated by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) fell by 0.1% in April 2012 compared with the previous month, reaching 98.7 points (base December 2010 = 100). The price declines in the majority of the product groups that were surveyed this month were offset by price increases in the energy sector in particular (petroleum, natural gas, motor fuel). The price level of the whole range of domestic and imported products dropped by 2.3% year on year.
Neuchâtel, 11.05.2012 (FSO) – The Federal Council has commissioned the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) to develop indicators to complement the gross domestic product (GDP). This is because a comprehensive picture of developments in society, the economy and the environment cannot be provided by GDP alone. The FSO is carrying out the mandate in two phases. In the first phase, the results of which are being presented today by the FSO, existing statistical information is placed in the context of the economy or of society as a whole. This initial, rough compilation clearly shows that overall, Switzerland comes out quite well in terms of social, economic and ecological performance. Subsequently, the FSO will further develop and consolidate the indicator set and the results.
Neuchâtel, 09.05.2012 (FSO) – According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the Swiss hotel industry registered 3.1 million overnight stays in March 2012. This corresponds to a decrease of 8.1% (-271,000 overnight stays) compared with March 2011. Foreign visitors registered 1.7 million overnight stays, which represents a decline of 12% (-236,000 overnight stays). Domestic visitors generated 1.4 million overnight stays, i.e. a decline of 2.5% (-35,000 overnight stays).
Neuchâtel/Berne, 08.05.2012 (FSO/ARE) – On average, each Swiss resident covered a daily dis-tance of almost 37 kilometres within Switzerland in 2010. Compared with 2005, the daily distance increased by about 4%, which is primarily attributable to rail kilometres. These figures are from the Mobility and Transport Microcensus conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) and the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE). This microcensus is part of the new modular census which analyses today's accelerated social change much more effectively than was previously the case.
Neuchâtel, 07.05.2012 (FSO) – The national consumer price index calculated by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) registered an increase of 0.1% in April 2012. It reached 99.8 points (December 2010=100). Year-on-year inflation was -1.0%, compared with annualised rates of -1.0% in March 2012 and +0.3% in April 2011.
Neuchâtel, 04.05.2012 (FSO) – According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), real turnover in the retail sector rose by 4.2% in March 2012 compared with March 2011 (in nominal terms +1.1%). Real, seasonally adjusted turnover in the retail sector rose by 2.2% in March 2012 compared with February 2012 (in nominal terms +2.4%).
Neuchâtel, 04.05.2012 (FSO) – According to the final annual results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the 55 youth hostels included in the survey generated 905,000 overnight stays in 2011, i.e. a decline of 3.6% compared with 2010. The 420 campsites considered in this statistic registered 3.1 million overnight stays, representing a decrease of 6.8% compared with the previous year. In both types of accommodation, Swiss demand accounted for more than half of overnight stays, i.e. 58% in youth hostels and 56% in campsites.
Neuchâtel, 30.04.2012 (FSO) – Living conditions in Switzerland are good and at a high level in international comparison. Inequalities persist, however, both at the national and international levels. The consumption of non-renewable resources does not make it possible to preserve available stocks for future generations. These are the main conclusions of the "Sustainable Development Report 2012" published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Neuchâtel, 27.04.2012 (FSO) – According to the calculations of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), in 2011 the Swiss nominal wage index rose by 1.0% on average compared with 2010. It settled at 101.0 points (base 2010 = 100). Given an average annual inflation rate of 0.2%, real wages registered a slight increase of 0.7% (100.7 points, base 2010 = 100).
Neuchâtel, 26.04.2012 (FSO) – At the end of 2011, Switzerland's permanent resident population was 7,952,600, i.e. an increase of 82,400 persons compared with 2010. This growth of 1.0% is comparable to the increase registered in 2010. These are the initial provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office's (FSO) Population and Households Statistics (STATPOP) which is part of the new, register-based population census system.
Neuchâtel, 16.04.2012 (FSO) – The Producer and Import Price Index calculated by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) rose in March 2012 by 0.3% compared with the previous month, reaching 98.8 points (base December 2010 = 100). The rise is due in particular to higher prices for oil and petroleum products. The price level of the whole range of domestic and imported products dropped by 2.0% year on year.
Neuchâtel, 16.04.2012 (FSO) – With 2,000 new cases diagnosed each year, skin melanoma is the fourth most common cancer in Switzerland. The rate of new cases has risen sharply over the past two decades and Switzerland is the European country the most affected by this cancer. This increase is mainly observed in skin melanomas at an early stage. According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), diagnoses are more likely to be made at an early stage among population groups that have skin check-ups.
Neuchâtel, 12.04.2012 (Obsan) – The mental health of the Swiss population has barely changed in recent years. About one person in six in Switzerland suffers from a mental disorder. This is a finding of the third monitoring report by the Swiss Health Observatory (Obsan).
Neuchâtel, 05.04.2012 (FSO) – The national consumer price index calculated by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) registered an increase of 0.6% in March 2012. It reached 99.7 points (December 2010=100). Year-on-year inflation was -1.0%, compared with annualised rates of -0.9% in February 2012 and +1.0% in March 2011.
Neuchâtel, 05.04.2012 (FSO) – According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the Swiss hotel industry registered 3.1 million overnight stays in February 2012. This corresponds to an increase of 1.5% (+45,000 overnight stays) compared with February 2011. Domestic visitors registered 1.5 million overnight stays, an increase of 7.5% (+105,000 overnight stays). Foreign visitors generated 1.6 million overnight stays, which represents a decrease of 3.7% (-60,000 overnight stays). As this year is a leap year, the month of February had one more day than the same month of the previous year.
Neuchâtel, 03.04.2012 (FSO) – The majority of the 59,065 agricultural holdings are independent, family-run businesses. The heads of the farms and their family members carry out nearly 85% of the total volume of agricultural work. In 44.5% of farms, diversification activities are carried out in parallel to agricultural work. These are some of the results of the Swiss of Census of Agricultural Farms 2010 conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).