Swiss Labor Market Surprises; Unsold Tickets Remain For Basel Tattoo; Basel Branch Of Assisted Suicide Center Gets Green Light; Blimps Buzz Basel Blue

News on 7 July 2015

Despite concerns about the effect of a strengthening Swiss Franc, the official Swiss unemployment rate fell for the fourth consecutive month in June. The Swiss currency has strengthened approximately 15% since January when the Swiss Central Bank abandoned its cap against the Euro. Fears about a Greek debt default and subsequent exit by the country from the European Union have been the primary drivers of the strength of the Franc, seen as a safe haven against Eurozone economic risks. The jobless rate, however, fell to 3.1% from 3.2 percent in May according to figures released today by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. The overall decline appears to have been largely attributable to a drop in the unemployment rate amongst foreign residents to 5.8% from the comparable rate of 6.1% in the prior month. Swiss citizens in general also enjoy a globally enviable 2.2% unemployment rate. In total, the number of people registered as unemployed at regional job offices fell in June to 133,256, a reduction of 3,093 unemployed from the previous month.

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With only 10 days remaining until the kick-off of the 10th anniversary edition of the Basel Tattoo, 18000 tickets remain unsold. A total of 120,000 visitors are expected to the international marching-band and music extravaganza which is usually sold out well in advance of the event. The organizers have special events planned to commemorate the 10th anniversary, in addition to the regular program which will feature 2 marching bands per day during the event's run from the 17th to the 25th of this month. Raffael Kouril, Marketing Director of the Tattoo remains confident however that all the tickets will be sold prior to the kickoff of festivities. 2013 was the last year when tickets were sold out by this time - organizers believe the advent of internet based ticketing has changed the behavior of those wanting to attend, where people purchase their tickets closer to the date of the performance.

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The global news organization Reuters is reporting that Basel's local building council has approved plans to open a branch of Exit - Switzerland's Assisted Suicide Organization - in the Canton. Local commercial and residential neighbors of the planned assisted suicide room had objected to opening the facility arguing it did not conform to local building regulations. The group's board will now decide if it will proceed with its plans to open the second-of-its-kind facility in Switzerland. The purpose of the assisted suicide facility is to help those that do not have or do not wish to use their own home. Managing Director Bernhard Sutter explained "Patients who live in Basel, who cannot be helped at home and who cannot travel to Zurich would now have a place where they can die." The Exit organization typically helps most of its patients die at home by providing its members with the necessary drugs. Medically assisted suicide has been legal in Switzerland since the 1940's, and the rise in the number of foreigners seeking the service in the country has not been without controversy. Recent referendums proposing bans on the practice, dubbed "suicide tourism" were rejected by the canton of Zurich, and in 2012 the national parliament refused to tighten existing controls.

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If you're wondering what those Zeppelins are doing over the skies of Basel, you can relax - they are part of a promotional campaign by the Swiss Airline company Edelweiss celebrating its 20th anniversary of operation. The campaign began in May and the airships will tour 5 cities in Switzerland in addition to Basel. The aircraft - larger than an Airbus A380 arrived yesterday at the St. Jakob sports complex in Basel having flown from Friedrichshafen airport in the neighboring German state of Baden-Württemberg. For the next 6 days, up to 12 passengers will be lifted for sightseeing tours of Basel lasting 45 minutes. Luckily, tours are not yet sold out and can be booked by going to St. Jakobs where a ticketing office has been established.