Zurich, Switzerland News

About Zurich, Switzerland  

By far the most important sector of the Zurich economy is the service industry, which employs nearly four fifths of workers.

In fact, financial and insurance services alone account more than 20 per cent of workers. Other important industries include light industry, machine and textile industries and tourism.

Most Swiss banks have their headquarters in Zurich and there are numerous foreign banks in the greater Zurich region. The Zurich Stock Exchange (SWX Swiss Exchange), established in 1877, is the fourth most prominent stock exchange in the world and the city is the world's largest gold trading centre.

In 2000 over 6,500 new companies were founded in the canton of Zurich and currently over 6,000 new dwellings are constructed every year. Ten of the country's 50 largest companies have their head offices in Zurich.

Taxes levied on companies in the canton of Zurich compare favourably with many other Swiss cities and other European cities in general.

The total tax burden on profits for a company located in Zurich, including direct state tax, cantonal and municipal taxes, can range between a minimum of around 15.5 percent and a maximum of approximately 25.5 per cent.

An annual report, published in March 2002 by W.M. Mercer, placed Zurich first followed by Vancouver and Austria, out of a total of 215 cities for quality of living. In particular, Zurich receives high scores for work, housing, leisure, education and safety.

Local planning authorities ensure clear separation between urban and recreational areas and there are many protected nature reserves. Every resident in Zurich enjoys clean air, safe, compact residential areas and plenty of privacy.

The provision of good kindergartens and schools is of top priority to the local authorities, including the provision of schools for non-German speaking children.

There are several private schools that provide tuition in various foreign languages including English, French, Italian, and Japanese. Zurich has an excellent international reputation for medical research and its medical care in general is world class.

Other Major Cities:

• Genève
• Basel
• Bern
• Lausanne
• Winterthur
• St. Gallen
• Luzern
• Lugano
• Biel
• Thun